Inauguration Day Among Trying Times

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Adam Fagan under Creative Commons License

The United States’ 46th President, Joseph Biden, in 2013 when he was at the Inaugural parade as Vice President.

With some not so new problems such as the novel Coronavirus outbreak and some more recent ones like the attack on the Capitol just a month ago, Inauguration Day this time around went a lot differently from previous ones. Many precautions were taken in order to maintain safety in regards to a looming fear of infiltration as well as preventative measures for health safety.

The Biden team removed some security after it was infiltrated by some that were thought to have ill intentions. On top of that, the FBI had intercepted word that those who were not happy with the result of the election may protest at each of the states’ capitols, which was then expected to turn violent as well. Despite this, nothing of the sort has appeared to have occurred, which some speculate may be due to the arrests following the breach of the Capitol.

Former President Donald Trump tweeted before the inauguration stating, “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.” While this was not a surprise to many, it is still considered a noteworthy since most immediate predecessors have attended their successors’ inaugurations. Meanwhile, Jimmy Carter, who is now 96 years of age and was the 39th President of the United States, could not attend the inauguration due to his age and other health concerns. The other living former presidents attended.

At President Biden’s inauguration, his message heavily focused on unity. During his speech, Biden stated, “Politics doesn’t have to be a raging fire, destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn’t have to be a cause for total war. And we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated, and even manufactured.” Biden also said, “This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day—a day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve. Through a crucible for the ages, America has been tested anew. America has risen to the challenge.” Read the entirety of President Biden’s inaugural speech here.

Kamala Harris made history as the first woman and first woman of color to be Vice President. In her speech, she said the following: “In the middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln saw a better future and built it with land grant colleges and the transcontinental railroad. In the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King fought for racial justice and economic justice. American aspiration is what drove the women of this nation, throughout history, to demand equal rights, and the authors of the Bill of Rights to claim freedoms that had rarely been written down before.” Read the rest of Kamala Harris’ inaugural speech here.

The morning of the inauguration, Former President Trump stated, “I wish the new administration great luck and great success. I think they’ll have great success. They have the foundation to do something really spectacular.” His final statement before parting his journey as President of the United States was then, “Have a good life. We will see you soon.” While the form in which he intends to see the people soon was not specified, some are predicting that he will attempt to run again for President in 2024, which would have been a problem for the Former President if the Senate did, in fact, convict him during the process of the impeachment trial.

Inauguration day went seemingly well with no major interruptions. Since then, Biden’s administration has started reform from Trump’s presidency and has promised more change throughout the rest of his term as president.