He is back: Trump returns to Oval Office after inauguration as 47th US President
U.S. President Donald Trump walking toward the White House. (Collage prepared by Mehmet Akbas/Türkiye Today)
Donald Trump officially became the 47th President of the United States after taking the oath of office for second term, vowing to “preserve, protect, and defend” the Constitution.
The 78-year-old Republican took the oath of office beneath the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, with one hand raised and the other on a Bible his mother gave him.
The ceremony took place indoors due to frigid weather, with a significantly smaller crowd.
This time, Trump is surrounded by America’s elite, including the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and Google’s Sundar Pichai. Musk, a key supporter of Trump’s campaign, will lead a cost-cutting initiative in the new administration.
This marks a historic moment, as Trump becomes the first president since the 1890s to return to office after being defeated in a previous election.
He is set to deliver the first speech of his second presidency shortly.
‘Golden age of America begins now’
“The golden age of America begins right now,” he declared, promising that from this day forward, the nation would “flourish and be respected,” Trump said in his inaugural address.
“I will very simply put America first,” he added.
Trump slams’corrupt’ Biden administration
Trump also declared that America’s “decline is over,” framing his return to power as a rejection of the “radical and corrupt” establishment he claimed defined Joe Biden’s presidency.
“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,” Trump said.
“From this moment on, America’s decline is over,” he added.
Trump too declare national emergency, use military at Mexico border
Trump will issue a raft of executive orders aimed at reshaping how the U.S. deals with citizenship and immigration, he said minutes after his inauguration.
“First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border,” Trump said.
“All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” he added.
“I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country,” he also stated.
US ‘taking back’ Panama Canal
US President Trump also vowed in his inauguration address that the U.S. would be “taking back” the Panama Canal, alleging that China had gained control of the waterway.
“We didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back,” said Trump, who has previously not ruled out using military force against Panama.
Panama continues to assert control over the strategically vital Panama Canal, despite increasing involvement of Chinese companies around the key shipping link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
While Panama denies any Chinese role in the canal’s operations, the nation’s sovereignty has been a point of emphasis, particularly since former President Donald Trump’s threats to take over the waterway following his election.
