MAIN MENUDonald Trump Inaugurated As 45th US President
Donald Trump became the 45 th president of United States on Friday , ushering in a new political era that is cheered and feared in equal measure .
The 70 - year - old Republican billionaire placed his left hand on a bible used by Abraham Lincoln and recited the 35 -word oath spoken since George Washington , and then launched into a much - anticipated inaugural address .
“ We, the citizens of America , are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people , ” Trump told a crowd of hundreds of thousands massed on the National Mall.
“ Together we will determine the course of America , and the world , for many , many years to come ,” he said.
“ From this day forward , it’s going to be only America first . ”
Trump ’ s inauguration caps the improbable rise to power of the Manhattan real estate mogul, who had never before held elected office , served in the government or the armed forces.
A crowd of hundreds of thousands looked on , including outgoing president Barack Obama and Trump ’ s defeated election opponent Hillary Clinton — who narrowly missed out on becoming America ’s first female president .
“ I’ ve been waiting for this for a long time , ” said Thomas Mendenhall , 68 , a retired banker from Missouri . “We just want change . ”
– Meteoric political rise –
When Trump descended the escalators of his glitzy New York tower in June 2015 , his run for office was dismissed and even mocked.
His staff, many shunned by friends for supporting a man who has been labeled a racist and bigot by his critics , will become power players in the White House.
In the primaries , Trump dominated a crowded Republican presidential field with smash - mouth rhetoric and star power . He rode that same wave of anti -elite sentiment to victory over Clinton in the November election .
For Trump ’s critics, there was disbelief that a man who 19 months ago hosted “ The Apprentice ” is now leader of the free world .
A short distance from the steps of the Capitol , where Trump was sworn in , police fired gas to disperse protesters. Stones were thrown and windows broken .
A 27 - year - old financial worker from Tampa Bay in Florida, who did not want to give his name for fear of retaliation by his employer, said Trump ’ s election victory had left him fearful .
“ There is nothing to hope for except for grassroots efforts to oppose him, ” he said. A bigger anti - Trump rally is planned for Saturday.
– Time -honored traditions –
At 70 years of age, Trump is the oldest man ever to begin work in the Oval Office .
He has vowed to tear up Obama’ s policies and re- examine decades - old alliances with Europe and in Asia .
Beginning Friday , his team plans a rolling series of daily executive orders to roll back Obama ’s agenda .
But he enters office with a 37 percent approval rating , the lowest on record , according to a CBS News poll.
His inauguration was notably more sparsely attended than that of Obama in 2009 and 2013 .
Many will look to Trump ’ s inaugural speech for efforts to unify a country divided by politics — and increasingly , by culture .
The most noted inaugural addresses had sought to lift Americans ’ gaze up from the rancor and troubles of the day toward the horizon and a better tomorrow .
Inaugural addresses — from Lincoln to John F. Kennedy — echo across American history. Phrases like “ malice towards none ” and “ask not what your country can do for you” have been carved into the vernacular.
Trump aides are promising an address that is at once short — at around 20 minutes — and philosophical.
Earlier in the day, Trump had traced the steps of many presidents past, attending a prayer service at St . John ’s Church before heading to the White House, where he was greeted warmly by Obama .
“ Mr President - elect , how are you?” Obama asked his successor, after having deposited a letter in the Resolute desk and left the Oval Office for the last time .
After his speech , Trump will attend a luncheon inside the Capitol, before heading back to the White House to begin the business of governing .
Source: punchng.com
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