By Marie Cyprien, A+ Editing & Content Creation
Washington D.C. – On Wednesday morning, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., was officially sworn in as the 46th president of the United States., and Kamala Harris as Vice President. According to CNN, in his inaugural address, President Biden stated, “This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause. The cause of democracy. The people, the will of the people, has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded.”
It was just two weeks ago when the Capitol was taken over by white nationalists. Biden was not oblivious to that as he stated in his speech, the country has “has been reminded that democracy is precious, democracy is fragile, and at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”
This particular inauguration ceremony was the first in US history to not only have a new president addressing an empty National Mall but have over thousands of National Guards watching over downtown Washington. However, in representing Americans who would be in attendance if not for the Capitol riots and the pandemic, the Mall was filled with thousands of small flags.
Once Biden officially became president, he took the oath of office administered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Soon after, Vice President Kamala Harris made history as the first woman and person of color to become second in line to the presidency once she was sworn in. Biden and Harris then participated in pandemic-era versions of the traditions and ceremonial duties that usually happened during the inauguration of a new president including accepting gifts from congressional leaders and laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They then joined a short parade to the White House before a small mask-wearing crowd.
Members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, Mike Pence, and the three former presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were there to witness Biden’s swearing in.
Trump, however, was not in attendance since he already left Washington earlier in the morning to head to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
Since Biden is now president, he didn’t hesitate to zero in on former President Donald Trump’s most controversial and hindering initiatives. He also has already begun signing a number of executive orders and actions on immigration, climate change, COVID-19, racial equality, and more. Among his first plans are orders to mandate the usage of masks on all federal property, rejoin the Paris climate accord, and boost federal support for underserved communities.
As he stated, “I think some of the things we’re going to be doing are going to be bold and vital, and there’s no time to start like today.”
Biden’s presidency is particularly unique as he is now taking leadership during a time of tremendous serious division, fueled both by his predecessor and a raging pandemic.
