DONALD TRUMP was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, marking the start of a historic second term.
In his inaugural address, Trump declared the beginning of a "golden age" for America while sharply criticising what he described as a "broken" society that he vowed to restore.
“The golden age of America begins right now. From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world,” Trump said in an indoor ceremony at the US Capitol, citing chilly weather as the reason for the venue change.
Trump vowed to address what he described as years of betrayal and decline in the United States. He pledged to prioritise a crackdown on illegal immigration and positioned himself as a leader chosen by God to rescue the nation.
"First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border," Trump said. "All illegal entry will be immediately halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came."
Trump, 78, was sworn in by chief justice John Roberts. Vice president JD Vance was sworn in just before Trump, marking Trump’s return to office as the first US president to serve a second term after losing the White House.
Trump’s speech touched on themes similar to his 2017 inaugural address, when he spoke of "American carnage."
He highlighted plans to sign several executive actions in his first hours as president, focusing on border security and immigration, including a resumption of the policy requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their US court dates and an end to birthright citizenship for US-born children of parents without legal status.
In a reference to the challenges he faced, Trump said, "The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one, that I can tell you," noting an assassination attempt in July. "I was saved by God to make America great again."
Outgoing president Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris attended the ceremony, along with former Presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush, and Bill Clinton.
Biden, in one of his last acts, pardoned individuals Trump had targeted, including Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney, and General Mark Milley.
Trump later arrived at the White House, greeted by Biden, who said, "Welcome home."
Trump's inauguration took place under heavy security following an election campaign marked by increased political violence.
He is set to restore the federal death penalty, end diversity initiatives in the federal government, and pursue changes to trade policies. However, legal challenges are expected for some of these actions.
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai all had prime seats in the Capitol alongside Trump's family and cabinet members.
Musk, who bankrolled Trump's election campaign to the tune of a quarter of a billion dollars and promotes far-right policies on the X social network, will lead a cost-cutting drive in the new administration.
Unusually for an inauguration where foreign leaders are normally not invited, Argentina's hard-right president Javier Milei attended, along with Italy's far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
From promising sweeping tariffs, to making territorial threats to Greenland and Panama, and calling US aid for Ukraine into question, Trump looks set to rattle the global order once again.
Russian president Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump ahead of the inauguration and said he was open to talks on the Ukraine conflict, adding he hoped any settlement would ensure "lasting peace."
(With inputs from agencies)
