Jan 20, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; Donald Trump takes the oath during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. Mandatory Credit: Morry Gash-Pool via Imagn Images
After being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, becoming the first president to serve non-consecutive terms since Grover Cleveland in the 1890s, Donald J. Trump opened his inaugural address with eight pointed words.
"The golden age of America begins right now," he said.
Trump, speaking from the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol as the event was moved indoors because of a cold snap in Washington D.C., told a room of approximately 600 attendees and millions watching around the world that a "tide of change is sweeping the country," and declaring the country's "decline is over."
"From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world," he said. "We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer."
"My life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again."
President Trump says he believes now more than ever that God spared his life for a reason during his historic inauguration address. pic.twitter.com/uXWvMbRUNN
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 20, 2025
Trump then began to outline many of the policies he plans to enact immediately, as he was expected to sign more than 200 executive orders later on Monday at a inauguration celebration in front of 20,000 supporters at Capital One arena in downtown Washington.
Similar to a State of the Union Address, Trump was interrupted by a standing ovation repeatedly by supporters, primarily Republicans, while detractors, primarily Democrats, sat stoically.
The only time everyone stood in unison was when Trump talked about the first Israeli hostages being released from Hamas control in Gaza on Sunday. The ceasefire in the Middle East was a result of bi-partisan negotiation with members of the Biden Administration and members of the incoming Trump administration.
That, and the traditional tea between the outgoing president and incoming president were the only signs of cordiality between Trump and Biden, as Trump took the opportunity to promise to erase the perceived failings of the Biden administration during the past four years.
WATCH: President Donald Trump is sworn into office https://t.co/WFNPVV9ifn pic.twitter.com/UpyxurOEDO
"My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all of these many betrayals that have taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and indeed, their freedom from this moment on, America's decline is over."
Trump's victory was made possible by winning several key states, including Pennsylvania, which delivered 19 electoral votes for the him as he won 50.4% of the state's vote.
Philadelphia is traditionally a Democratic city, and voted that way in the 2024 election, but Trump did win 19.94% of the vote in Philadelphia, an improvement from 15.37% in 2016 and 17.90% in 2020.
