‘America first’: Donald Trump sworn in as 47th President
Donald Trump has been sworn into office as the 47th president of the United States, with a claim that “America’s decline is over.”
The Republican politician took the oath of office in the rotunda of the US Capitol building in Washington D.C. on Monday after below freezing temperatures saw the ceremony moved indoors.
President Trump was sworn in alongside his vice-president JD Vance, with both men flanked by their wives, Melania Trump and Usha Vance, alongside nominees for cabinet positions.
The ceremony was attended by former UK prime minister Boris Johnson, with social media and tech company bosses Mark Zuckerberg, of Meta, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai of Google, and key advisor and Tesla and X owner Elon Musk in prominent positions.
Delivering his inaugural address, Trump said: “The golden age of America begins right now… we will be the envy of every nation.”
He pledged: “During every single day of the Trump administration I will, very simply, put America first. Our sovereignty will be restored.”
The new President also took aim at what he said was the Biden administration’s policy to bring race and gender into “every aspect of public and private life,” and vowed to build a society that is “colour-blind and merit-based.”
Immigration, energy and manufacturing
Referring to the assassination attempts he survived during the election campaign, the President said: “My life was saved by God to make America great again.
“That is why each day under our administration of American patriots we will be working to meet every crisis with dignity, power and strength.”
On immigration policy, Trump confirmed he would declare a national “emergency at our southern border” and send troops to the area, following reports he planned to sign 200 executive orders on his first day in office.
He also vowed to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, and work to bring down inflation and declare a national energy emergency, adding: “We will drill, baby, drill.”
America, he said, will be a “manufacturing nation once again”, highlighting the US’s natural oil and gas reserves and promising to use them to “export energy all over the world”.
Tariffs, Mars and foreign policy
Trump, who also promised to end the Green New Deal and the electric vehicle mandate, added: “We will be a rich nation once again and it is the liquid gold under our feet that will help us do it.”
The President also referenced his plans for tariffs, stating that his administration would “tariff and tax foreign nations to enrich our citizens” and set up the External Revenue Service.
He also said that under his presidency the US would “plant the Stars and Stripes on planet Mars”, in an apparent nod to Musk and Bezos’ space exploration efforts.
On foreign policy, and referencing the Israel-Gaza ceasefire, Trump said: “My proudest legacy is that I will be remembered as a peacemaker and a unifier.”
He also suggested that the US would be “taking back” the Panama Canal, which is controlled by the Panamanian government, and claimed: “China is operating it and we didn’t give it to China.” Trump also stated he would rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
UK reaction
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “On behalf of the United Kingdom, I send my warmest congratulations to President Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th President of the United States.
“The special relationship between the UK and the US will continue to flourish for years to come.”
It comes as suggestions arose that the Trump administration could reject Starmer’s pick of former Blair-era minister Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
While King Charles III has written to President Trump to congratulate him on his inauguration and plans for a US state visit, or royal visit to the US, remain on the table, it is understood.
Foreign secretary David Lammy and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner congratulated Trump and Vance respectively, citing the “special relationship” and “vital UK-US bond” in posts on X.