Not since Franklin Roosevelt in January 1941 has a US president seemed so compelled to make a staunch defence of democracy itself in an inaugural address. “We have learned again that democracy is precious, democracy is fragile ... and democracy has prevailed,” Joe Biden declared at the outset.

The threat to America now is an “uncivil war” of disunity “that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal”, which is preventing democratic consent from working. The result, he said, is “no progress, only exhausting outrage”.