Donald Trump promises ‘golden age’ in inauguration speech
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris sat glumly, just metres away, as Donald Trump opened his second term by rounding on his political enemies and declaring: “I was saved by God to make America great again.”
Donald Trump has made a triumphant return to the US presidency in a powerful inauguration speech, promising to bring about a new American “golden age” after what he called the “greatest and most consequential election in the history of this country”.
The 45th and now 47th president, now 78, had an unusually serious and grave demeanour during his almost 30-minute address to the nation – and the world – at the Capitol Rotunda on Monday.
Standing alongside former US presidents and vice presidents, Trump and his deputy JD Vance enjoyed a stunning moment of vindication that capped the most extraordinary political comeback in US history.
At almost twice the length of his first inauguration speech in 2017 Trump once again painted an image of an America in decline, dragged down by what he called a “radical and corrupt establishment” that had “extracted power and wealth from our citizens while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair”.
The President took the unusual step of wearing a purple tie, which some suggested could be a subtle expression for a desire for national unity amid the waring ‘red’ and ‘blue’ factions of the American political system.
But his speech otherwise didn’t hold back on attacking his political enemies, seeing their campaign against him over years as recklessly destructive and unfair.
“Those who wished to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom, and indeed, take my life,” President Trump said, alluding to the two assassination attempts on his life and the numerous civil and criminal cases launched against him by Democrat prosecutors.
“The American people have spoken,” he boomed in a speech his political enemies would have loathed.
Former president Joe Biden and former Vice President Harris sat only metres away, glum and practically motionless throughout an inauguration ceremony that reflected their political humiliation.
“I was saved by God to make America great again,” the President said.
Trump laid out far more specific plans than he did in his January 2017 inauguration speech, promising to take back the Panama Canal, invoke a late 18th century “aliens act” to crack down on crime, and shut the southern border immediately, and even plant an American flag on Mars.
He promised to increase oil exploration, revoke the federal government’s electric vehicle mandate, forbid race- and sex-based ‘diversity and inclusion’ programs throughout public institutions, provide full back pay and job restoration for men and women in the armed forces who had refused to take the Covid vaccine.
Foreign leaders must have winced through the part about trade, as in the incoming Republican president promised to make good on his plans to lift tariffs on foreign nations.
“Instead of taxing citizens we will tariff and tax foreign countries” and extract “massive amounts of money”, promising to establish a new government department, an External Revenue Service.
With a much more significant victory behind him than in 2016, Trump projected massive authority and power, speaking in front of perhaps the greatest concentration of power and wealth to ever appear in one place.
Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, the chief executives of Apple and Google, together worth hundreds of billions of dollars, were standing alongside the incoming president’s entire cabinet, most if not all of whom are expected to be confirmed in coming weeks.
His speech came against an ignominious last few hours for Joseph Biden, seated only a few metres from Trump throughout the ceremony.
The former president triggered waves of condemnation only minutes earlier for pardoning his family from any crimes they may have committed since 2014.
He also similarly pardoned members of the January 6 Committee that sought to prosecute Donald Trump and Anthony Fauci.
Millions of Americans were cheering on their political hero, but his long list of promises, not to mention to bring about a ‘golden age’, will be very difficult to achieve.
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