In Case You Missed Trump's Inaugural Address, Here's the Rundown

Rabat – The halls of the US Capitol were filled to the brim this Monday morning in Washington DC for the inaugural ceremony where Donald J. Trump was sworn in as 47th President of the United States.

This will mark the Republican billionaire’s return to the White House after being defeated for re-election to Joseph R. Biden in 2020. Trump is now the second president in history to be sworn in for a non-consecutive term, following his Democratic predecessor, Glover Cleveland.

The inauguration ceremony is usually held outdoor for public viewing but was moved inside due to frigid conditions in the Washington. The ceremony was attended by all key leaders of the House and Senate, as well as former presidents and first spouses, senior members of the military, and respected guests.

Besides the change in venue, the ceremony itself played out as past US transitions of power, with much fanfare and traditional formal proceedings. Trump and Biden were notably more professional and cordial to one another than in the interactions we have seen on the long campaign trail. It was clear that there was an aura in the room of wishing to maintain a good image of the American government in front of global audiences.

Wearing a deep purple tie, Trump had on his usual stern scowl, and – although still full of self-praise and patriotic wishes for America – his speech differed in tone than his words on the campaign trail. The Republican politician was resolute, serious in nature, and less bombastic in his remarks, most likely due to the fact that he seemed to stick to his script for the duration of his address – a rarity to say the least.

In case you missed it, here is a rundown of his inaugural address.

‘The Golden Age of America starts now’

As expected by his loyal base, the Republican businessman started out strongly marketing his administration, pledging large sweeping promises of “putting America first.”

“The golden age of America begins right now. From this moment on our country will flourish and be respected all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation and not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer,” he said.

Along these lines of patriotic fanfare, he pledged to create an America that is “proud, prosperous and free.”

“I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a new era of national success,” he boldly remarked.

This tone of patriotic neutrality was quickly altered, when shortly after Trump started to sharply critique the Biden administration and Democrats as a whole, saying America is facing a “crisis of trust.”

Critique of Biden administration

“For many years a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens while the pillars of our society lay in seemingly incomplete disrepair.”

These were the bold words that Trump started out with in his criticism of his predecessor’s government – of which extended to the rule of law, foreign defense spending, management of government services including healthcare, and education.

In line with his main campaign objectives, Trump accused Biden’s administration for giving “unlimited funding for the defense of foreign borders,” without defending America’s borders first. He used strong statements, claiming the current government cannot handle “even a single crisis at home,” and allows “dangerous criminals” to illegally enter from “all over the world.”

He blasted Biden’s government for what he believes are failures to support Americans in North Carolina and Los Angeles suffering from a recent hurricane and rampant wildfires, adding that he believes the healthcare system is in disarray despite its exorbitant cost.

Trump also made some vague sweeping statements about the education system under the Democrats, saying that it teaches students “to be ashamed of themselves” and “hate our country.”

The Republican politician pledged his administration would change all of these accused failures.

“My recent election is a mandate to completely reverse a horrible betrayal…and give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and indeed their freedom.”

‘I was saved by God to Make America Great Again’

As is custom in all of his speeches, the politician took some time for self-praise.

He made the large claim that in the past eight years, he has “been tested more than any president in our 250 year history,” alluding to his trials in which he became a convicted felon, as well as his assassination attempt.

Recalling surviving his gunshot to the ear during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania, he said he believes “I was saved by God to Make America Great Again” – a remark that was met with loud applause from his supporters.

Trump took a moment to thank his Hispanic and Black voters, making a point to acknowledge his ceremony falls on Martin Luther King Day.

Bringing in his strong Christian base, the politician also made a point to say his administration will not forget “our God.”

Executive Orders

For the remainder of his speech, Trump firmly listed off all of the Executive Orders he plans to sign in the next 24-hours, and the list is not short. Here are the highlights:

In regards to the US border Trump says he will:

-Declare a national emergency at the US southern border with Mexico:

-Reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” Policy (what is that?)

-End the practice of “Catch and Release” (what is that?)

-Send troops to the US-Mexico border to “repel the invasion” of the country

-Designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations

-Re-invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1789 (what is that?)

In regards to the economy Trump says he will:

-Work with his Cabinet to bring down what he describes as “record inflation” while also “rapidly bringing down costs and prices.” Trump blamed the inflation during Biden’s administration on overspending and “escalating energy prices”

In regards to the environment and energy Trump says he will:

-Declare a “national energy emergency” in the US

-Put an end to the Green New Deal (what is that?)

-Boost drilling of fossil fuels (his specific words were “drill, baby, drill)

-Pledge to use the most of US oil and gas as the “liquid gold” to “help America become rich again”

-Bring energy prices down and export resources all over the world

-Build back the automotive industry and put an end to the electric vehicle mandate

In regards to trade Trump says he will:

-Overhaul current trade systems. “Instead of taxing citizens to enrich foreign countries we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” he pledged.

-Establish a new “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs, duties and revenues in one he described as “a massive pouring in” of money

In regards to gender/race in America Trump says he will:

-Put an end to what he described as “the policy of the government trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.” This is likely alluding to government initiatives for Americans who identify as transgender or gender non-binary, which include educational programs and the establishment of gender-neutral spaces.

-Commit to “forge a society that is color-blind and merit-based.” Trump is also likely referencing his critiques of past government initiatives like Affirmative Action, which was designed to benefit marginalized groups.

-Enforce a “US policy” that “there are only two genders – male and female”

In regard to the military Trump says he will:

-Reinstate US service members who were fired due to not complying with taking the COVID vaccine

-Build back “like in 2017” what he termed as the “strongest military in the world” shown by “wars we end and never get into”

Trump says he will also:

-Make an executive order to “stop all government censorship” and “bring back free speech”

-Change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” (can he do that?)

-Reinstate the name of Mount Denali in Alaska (which is named for the indigenous tribe) to “Mount McKinley” (named after the former president)

-Establish a new “Department of Government Efficiency”

On the much-anticipated topic of Israel’s genocide on Gaza, Trump largely sidestepped the topic, briefly taking credit for the fact that, a day before he is in office, “the hostages are coming home to their families.” He pointedly did not mention whether he was referring to Palestinians, Israeli hostages, or both.

The newly-elected Republican politician ended his address saying that he wishes his legacy to be “a peacemaker and unifier,” which is notably a change in tone from his past fiery remarks. He concluded with a long reflection on the past accomplishments of Americans in history, pledging to bring the country back to its former glory.

“I stand here as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do, in America impossible is what we do best.”