Amid bitter cold and light snow flurries, Donald J. Trump was sworn in on Monday as the 47th president of the United States, vowing in a dark and forceful inaugural address to put “America First” in a new era of nationalism, protectionism and “winning like never before.”
In a ceremony that capped one of the most improbable rises to power in American history, Mr. Trump presented himself as the leader of a populist uprising to restore lost greatness. He outlined a vision of an inward-looking nation that would value sovereignty above multilateralism, economic strength above soft power, and “the forgotten men and women” above the Davos elite.
A Narrative of Betrayal and Redemption
In his 16-minute address from the West Front of the Capitol, Mr. Trump laced his trademark anti-establishment diatribes with more traditionally presidential themes of unity. But the overall tone was one of a narrative of betrayal and redemption, portraying himself as the savior who could “make America great again.”
The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now.
– President Donald J. Trump
Mr. Trump lamented that middle-class wealth had been “ripped from their homes” and distributed to foreign nations. “Washington flourished,” he said, “but the people did not share in its wealth.” He vowed to reverse that trend, declaring that “from this day forward, it’s going to be only America First.”
Departing from Presidential Norms
In many ways, Mr. Trump’s inaugural address departed from the optimistic themes, calls for reconciliation, and invocations of democratic ideals that have characterized much inaugural rhetoric in the past.
- Dark vision – He portrayed the nation as gripped by crisis and decline, a sharp break from his predecessors.
- Resentment over trade – He depicted America as victimized by foreign countries that have destroyed factories and stolen jobs.
- “America First” – His vow of economic nationalism echoed the isolationism of the 1930s.
By discarding the usual appeals to shared values in favor of a defiant promise to defeat “the ravages of other countries,” Mr. Trump signaled an administration that would shatter the norms of presidential leadership at home and abroad.
Policy Priorities and Early Actions
In his speech and early executive actions, Mr. Trump highlighted several of his top policy priorities:
- Restricting immigration, including building a border wall and “extreme vetting” of refugees
- Renegotiating or withdrawing from trade deals like NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership
- Repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act
- Pursuing an “America First” foreign policy, questioning alliances like NATO
- Expanding fossil fuel drilling and rolling back climate change regulations
On his first day in office, President Trump signed executive orders to begin rolling back parts of Obamacare, withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, and freeze hiring for some federal government positions.
A Nation Divided
While Mr. Trump’s supporters welcomed his inaugural message as a stirring call to arms, his uncompromising words left some Republicans anxious and Democrats angry and alarmed. The stark tone and tenor of the speech, with its echoes of nationalism and isolationism, left little doubt that Mr. Trump intends to govern as he campaigned.
But in a nation still deeply divided, where Mr. Trump lost the popular vote by nearly three million and sparked mass protests even before taking office, the question remains whether his message of disruption and defiance will truly unite Americans behind his presidency, or only deepen the disunion.
A lot of Americans are not interested in uniting under the banner of protectionism, xenophobia and misogyny.
– Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary
After his address, Mr. Trump began the traditional inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, where he will now reside and govern. In the coming days and weeks, a nation and world anxiously await the actions and impacts of President Trump’s promised new direction for America.
