Donald John Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America early Friday, January 20. Standing before past Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the controversial business tycoon took his oath to uphold the nation's highest office across from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, before turning to the American people on hand at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Trump's Inaugural Address revealed an eloquence that followers and critics had yet become familiar with over the course of his contentious campaign leading up to the general election, and up until this point thereafter. As has been commonplace for such speeches, he touched on a broad spectrum of Americans, from the nation's inner cities to the scenic lands of middle America, in promising to lead on behalf of all citizens. His message in many ways spoke to the ideals of exceptionalism, but differed to some degree from the addresses of past Presidents in how it emphasized a message of "America First." From refocusing policy inward and allowing nations abroad to govern themselves, to reinforcing his spoken commitment to bring factories back home from overseas in an effort to promote job creation.
In Trump fashion, he also made sure to draw a distinction between his administration and the Washington he has long attempted to distance himself from, targeting traditional politics in his speech as an apparatus that has operated apart from the interest of the people. Ultimately, Trump inferred, the American people were a part of the moment in which they took their power back from the political elite.
"Today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another - but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People. For too long, a small group in our nation's Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost," said Trump. "What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again."
Source: instagram.com
