Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday on a cold, bright afternoon in the nation’s capital. In his first speech, Biden pledged to defend the nation and fight the multiple crises facing Americans. “Together, we shall write an American story of hope not fear, of unity not division, of light, not darkness,” he said.
Inauguration Day is always a momentous occasion in the United States, but this year the tension in the country and the challenges facing the new administration have put an unprecedented spotlight on the day. The transition of power has not been peaceful: Donald Trump incited a riot of his supporters on Jan. 6 that disrupted the counting of Electoral College votes in the Capitol and left five people dead. The heart of the nation’s capital has taken on the appearance of a conflict zone, with thousands of National Guard troops stationed around the city and a series of barricades and fences encircling the Capitol Building where Biden will be sworn in.
A Senate impeachment trial over Trump’s incitement of the riot will now loom over the early days of Biden’s presidency. Trump left town early before Biden’s swearing in, breaking with more than 100 years of precedent of outgoing presidents attending the event.
Trump departs White House
Two Marines in dress uniform walked out of the White House portico and stood guard as President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walked out to board the Marine One helicopter on the last day of his tumultuous presidency.
A few minutes before Trump walked out, aides had loaded four file boxes, a desk protector pad and a leather Louis Vuitton duffle bag into the waiting helicopter. Trump stopped in front of a bank of reporters and television cameras and said that serving as President was “the honor of a lifetime.”
Trump’s early departure marks a significant break with precedent and Washington norms: there are only three past presidents known to have skipped their successors’ inaugurations, the most recent instance of which was more than 150 years ago. All other living former presidents besides 96-year-old Jimmy Carter will be in attendance at Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday.
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