Trump takes office as 47th US President • Signs several executive orders, recognises only two genders
By WatchmanPost, with agency reports
The 47th President of the United States (POTUS), Mr. Donald J. Trump, was yesterday, 20 January, 2025, sworn in for a second term by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
Trump, who staged a historic political comeback after losing his second term bid to Mr. Joe Biden in 2020, pledged prompt order on immigration reforms, a major campaign promise in his race for a return to the White House.
With wife Melania beside him, Trump raised his right hand in the air, as he took his oath of office beneath the Rotunda of the US Capitol, reports AFP.
With one hand raised in the air, the 47th US president solemnly took the oath of office beneath the Rotunda of the US Capitol.
“The golden age of America begins now. We will be the envy of every nation. I will very simply put America first. Our sovereignty will be claimed, and the chaos of justice will be rebalanced. America’s decline is over” Trump declared.
Earlier in the day, Trump and outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden had travelled together in a motorcade to the Capitol, where the ceremony was held indoors as near-freezing weather reigned outdoors.
“Welcome home,” Biden told Trump as he, and wife, Jill, greeted their successors at the door to the White House.
Trump, 78, a political rookie at his first inauguration in 2017 as the 45th president, this time round is courted by America’s men of wealth and power.
This was all too clear as world’s richest man, Elon Musk; as well as Meta boss, Mark Zuckerberg; Amazon owner, Jeff Bezos; and Google chief, Sundar Pichai, all sat in prime seats at the inauguration venue together with Trump’s family and cabinet members.
Though Trump refused to attend Biden’s 2021 inauguration, claiming electoral theft against him, Biden joined former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton at the inauguration.
While former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush were there at the event, their counterpart, Michelle Obama, was absent.
In an unprecedented reach out to Christian leaders in Africa, Trump invited Nigeria’s preacher and leader of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi; gospel musicians Nathaniel Bassey and Sinach, to his inauguration.
On his approach to governance, Trump told an inauguration eve party, “I will act with historic speed and strength and fix every single crisis facing our country.”
True to his pledge, hours after assumption of office, Trump signed a number of executive orders, one of which gave official recognition to lonly two genders (male and female), TikTok, Mexico border barrier building, deportation of illegal immigrants, restoration of free speech, “weaponisation of government against political adversaries”, among others.
Executive orders carry the force of law, but could be challenged in court or overturned by another president.
