President Donald Trump provided a scathing rebuke of his predecessor’s time period whereas laying out the speedy actions he plans to tackle the primary day of his second time period in workplace, saying in his inauguration remarks, “America’s decline is over.”
Trump whiplashed between portray a dire image of the nation below the Biden administration whereas proclaiming himself as a “peacemaker and unifier” and that the “Golden Age” of the nation is starting.
He additionally referenced his private authorized battles and historic political comeback to the White Home throughout his almost 30-minute remarks after taking the oath of workplace within the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
Listed here are some key takeaways from his first remarks because the forty seventh president of america.
Reversing ‘a horrible betrayal’
Trump instantly took intention at Joe Biden’s management, because the now-former president sat within the rotunda, although he did not point out his predecessor by identify.
Trump particularly targeted on immigration and up to date pure disasters, together with the hurricane in North Carolina and wildfires in Los Angeles.
“My latest election is a mandate to fully and completely reverse a horrible betrayal, and all of those many betrayals which have taken place, and to present the folks again their religion, their wealth, their democracy and certainly, their freedom,” Trump mentioned.
Like he did on the 2024 marketing campaign path, Trump painted a darkish image of the present state of the U.S.
“From this second on, America’s decline is over,” he mentioned. “Our liberties and our nation’s superb future will not be denied, and we’ll instantly restore the integrity, competency, and loyalty of America’s authorities.”
Former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris hearken to President Donald Trump ship his inaugural deal with after being sworn in because the forty seventh president of america contained in the Rotunda of the Capitol in Washington.
Shawn Thew/POOL/AFP through Getty Pictures
Quick government orders
Trump laid out among the executive actions he plans to tackle Day 1, together with declaring a nationwide emergency on the southern border and a nationwide power emergency to “drill, child, drill.”
He mentioned he would ship troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to “repel the disastrous invasion of our nation,” reinstate his “Stay in Mexico” coverage and finish the observe of “catch and launch,” amongst different actions.
“With these actions, we’ll start the entire restoration of America and the revolution of frequent sense,” he mentioned. “It is all about frequent sense.”
Assault on DEI insurance policies
Trump mentioned he plans to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout the federal authorities and “finish the federal government coverage of attempting to socially engineer race and gender into each side of private and non-private life.”
“We are going to forge a society that’s colorblind and merit-based,” he mentioned.
Trump additional waded into the culture wars and mentioned that, as of Monday, the official coverage of america authorities might be that there are solely two genders, female and male.
Legacy as ‘peacemaker and unifier’
The inauguration got here a day after the ceasefire and hostage deal went into impact between Israel and Hamas, for which Trump has sought to take credit.
“My proudest legacy might be that of a peacemaker and unifier,” he mentioned, noting that “sooner or later earlier than I assumed workplace, the hostages within the Center East are coming again dwelling to their households.”
He mentioned he desires to measure success by the wars the U.S. ends and “maybe most significantly, the wars we by no means get into.”
Donald Trump is sworn in because the forty seventh president of america by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible in the course of the sixtieth Presidential Inauguration within the Rotunda of the Capitol, Jan. 20, 2025.
Morry Gash/Pool/AP
Expansionist imaginative and prescient
Trump continued to put out his expansionist vision for the U.S., together with a plan to achieve management of the Panama Canal.
“American ships are being severely overcharged and never handled pretty in any manner, form or kind, and that features america Navy,” he mentioned. “Above all, China is working the Panama Canal. And we did not give it to China. We gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it again.”
He additionally reiterated his plan to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Private battles
Trump, who has been convicted by a jury of his friends and was indicted 4 occasions after his first time period, referred to his authorized troubles throughout his speech.
“By no means once more will the immense energy of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents — one thing I do know one thing about,” mentioned Trump, persevering with to contend that he was politically prosecuted. “We won’t enable that to occur. It won’t occur once more. Beneath my management, we’ll restore honest, equal and neutral justice below the constitutional rule of regulation.”
The 2 instances in opposition to him have been dropped after he gained reelection, with prosecutors citing longstanding Justice Division coverage {that a} sitting president can’t be charged with against the law.
He additionally referred to the assassination try in opposition to him in Pennsylvania final yr.
“Those that want to cease our trigger have tried to take my freedom and certainly, to take my life. Only a few months in the past in an attractive Pennsylvania discipline, an murderer’s bullet ripped via my ear, however I felt then, and imagine much more so now that my life was saved for a purpose. I used to be saved by God to Make America Nice Once more.”
Touts comeback
Trump celebrated his historic comeback all through his speech. He’s solely the second president in U.S. historical past, after Grover Cleveland in 1892, to win election to a non-consecutive second time period, and is the primary convicted felon to take the workplace.
“Many individuals thought it was unimaginable for me to stage such a historic political comeback. However as you see at present, right here I’m, the American folks have spoken,” Trump mentioned.
ABC Information’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
