Joe Biden sworn in as the 46th US President
Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th US President in a toned down inauguration ceremony at Washington, DC’s Capitol building.
The former Vice President took the oath of office just before 5pm London time in front of roughly 2,000 members of congress, Democratic party figures and other Washington VIPs.
Biden was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts with his hand placed on top of a bible that has been in his family since 1893.
Kamala Harris was also sworn in as the 49th US Vice President, becoming the first woman and first African American to hold the office.
Biden used much of the speech to implicitly repudiate Trump’s legacy, saying “we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured”.
“Democracy is precious, democracy is fragile and at this hour my friends democracy has prevailed,” he said.
He also called for unity in the wake of a divisive four years under former President Donald Trump.
“We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative vs liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts, if we show a little tolerance and humility and if we’re willing to stand in the other person’s shoes for just a moment,” Biden said.
The ceremony featured performances by Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez.
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were in attendance, however Trump chose not to attend.
Trump instead held his own send-off at a Maryland air base before leaving for Florida, telling the crowd “we will be back in some form”.
Biden’s team announced earlier today that he would enact a swathe of executive orders today that will undo some of Donald Trump’s most controversial policies on immigration, climate change and Covid.
They will include re-joining the Paris climate agreement, re-connecting with the World Health Organisation and immediately ceasing construction of Trump’s border wall with Mexico.
Other executive orders include scrapping Trump’s so-called “Muslim travel ban” levelled against a series of Middle Eastern and African countries, enacting a mandate that face masks must be worn on all federal government property and revoking a permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline project.
Biden will also sign a presidential memorandum to call on Congress to “enact legislation providing permanent status and a path to citizenship for people who came to this country as children”, which will be targeted toward providing protections for so-called “dreamers” – children who entered the country illegally with their parents.
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The President-elect also announced he will launch a “racial equity” review led by Barack Obama’s former national security adviser Susan Rice.
A spokesperson for the former Vice President said: “President-elect Biden will take action — not just to reverse the gravest damages of the Trump administration — but also to start moving our country forward.”