Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, was yesterday to be sworn in as the 47th US president, taking charge as Republicans assume unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the nation’s institutions.
Trump was expected to act swiftly after the ceremony, with executive orders already prepared for his signature to jump-start deportations, increase fossil fuel development and reduce civil service protections for government workers, promising that his term would bring about “a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride.”
Due to frigid weather, Trump’s swearing-in was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda — the first time that has happened in 40 years — and the inaugural parade was replaced by an event at a downtown arena.
Photo: AFP
Throngs of Trump supporters who descended on the city to watch the inaugural ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol from the National Mall were left to find somewhere else to view the festivities.
Although he was voted out of the White House four years ago, Trump never lost his grip on the Republican Party, and was undeterred by criminal cases and two assassination attempts as he steamrolled rivals, and harnessed voters’ exasperation with inflation and illegal immigration.
As the first person convicted of a felony — for falsifying business records related to hush money payments — to serve as president, Trump said one of his first acts in office would be to pardon many of those who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Eight years after he first entered the White House as a political newcomer, Trump is far more familiar with the operations of federal government and emboldened to bend it to his vision. He has promised retribution against his political opponents and critics, and placed personal loyalty as a prime qualification for appointments to his administration.
He has pledged to go further and move faster in enacting his agenda than during his first term; the country’s political, business and technology leaders have already realigned themselves to accommodate Trump. Democrats who once formed a “resistance” are now divided over whether to work with Trump or defy him. Billionaires have lined up to meet with Trump as they acknowledge his unrivaled power in Washington and ability to wield the levers of government to help or hurt their interests.
Trump has pledged to bring quick change to the country by curtailing immigration, enacting tariffs on imports, and rolling back Democrats’ climate and social initiatives.
Long skeptical of US alliances, his “America First” foreign policy is being watched warily at home and abroad as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would soon enter its third year and a fragile ceasefire appears to be holding in Gaza after more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
Trump was scheduled to begin his inauguration day with a prayer service at St John’s Episcopal Church. Then he and his wife, Melania, were to be greeted at the executive mansion by outgoing US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for the customary tea. It was a stark departure from four years ago, when Trump refused to acknowledge Biden’s victory or attend his inauguration.
A cadre of billionaires and tech titans who have sought to curry favor with Trump and have donated handsomely to his inaugural festivities, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, were to be in attendance.
Also present would be the head of TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media app deemed a national security risk by the US. Trump has promised to lift an effective ban on TikTok through one of many executive orders expected to be issued yesterday as the new president attempts to show quick progress.
At a rally on Sunday, Trump said that “by the time the sun sets” on his inaugural day, he would have signed executive orders involving border security and immigration policy, including a revival of his first-term effort to shut down access to many new entries under what is called Title 42 emergency provisions.
Others orders were expected to allow more oil and gas drilling by rolling back Biden-era policies on domestic energy production and rescind Biden’s recent directive on artificial intelligence.
More changes are planned for the federal workforce. Trump wants to unwind diversity, equity and inclusion programs known as DEI, require employees to come back to the office and lay the groundwork to reduce staff.
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