Donald Trump signs executive orders, pardons 1500 and heads to inaugural balls

Donald Trump and wife Melania have attended three inaugural balls after he signed a flurry of executive orders, including pardons for around 1,500 Capitol riot defenders. Follow updates.

US President Donald Trump and wife Melania have arrived at their final inaugration ball.

The pair have taken to the stage at the Starlight Ball, followed shortly afterwards by Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha.

The President and Vice President and their families went to the the Liberty Ball, where Mr Trump was later joined by everyone in his family on stage. He introduced, thanked and praised them for their support.

Mr Trump and Melania promptly began dancing after they had already stunned the crowd when they entered the first Commander-in-Chief Ball. The moment sent fans wild as they shared a romantic dance together.

It came after Mr Trump signed more executive orders inside the Oval Office, starting with pardons for around 1,500 defendants in the January 6 riots.

“We hope to get them out tonight,” he told reporters.

It came after Mr Trump created a dramatic moment by signing executive orders in front of 20,000 cheering fans at his presidential parade inside the Capital One Arena after he was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.

The President does not normally sign these sorts of documents in front of an arena of people. But they certainly enjoying it.

Among them was an order ending working from home privileges for federal employee and withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement.

“The United States will not sabotage your own industries while China pollutes with impunity,” he said.

There will be “pardons for a lot of people,” he said in his opening remarks at the Capitol One arena.

The 78-year-old said he will also get back “immediate control of the vast federal, out of control bureaucracy”.

“Most of those bureaucrats are being fired, they’re gone,” he said.

Earlier during his inauguration speech in the Rotunda of the US Capitol, Mr Trump declared “the golden age of America begins right now”.

“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer,” Mr Trump said as he opened his address.

He added: “I will very simply put America first.”

Surrounded by his children as he was sworn into the presidential office for the second time, Mr Trump laid out his “common sense” executive orders as part of a “Liberation Day” in America.

JD Vance was also sworn in as the 50th Vice President of the United States.

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Originally published as Donald Trump signs executive orders, pardons 1500 and heads to inaugural balls