Washington: Joe Biden on Wednesday took oath as the 46 president of the United States, sending out a message of unity in a divided country that is reeling from a battered economy amid a raging covid-19 pandemic that has claimed over 400,000 lives in the country.
In his inaugural address, which marked the end of a tumultus four-year tenure of Donald Trump, exactly two weeks after a mob of Trump backers stormed the US Capitol, Biden sought a return to civic decency.
“To overcome the challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America, requires so much more than words. It requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy: unity,” Biden said after taking the oath of office.
Biden said: “We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this—if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.”
The inauguration itself served as a stark reminder of the Trump years and the pandemic that still threatens the country.
The inauguration happened as thousands of National Guard troops guarded the Capitol building.
The dignitaries, including former US presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, wore masks and maintained social distancing.
Biden’s deputy Kamala Harris, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, has become the first Black person, first woman and first Asian American to serve as vice president.
Harris was sworn in by US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the court’s first Latina member.
Biden did not mention his predecessor by name though he spoke about the 6 January Capitol building siege.
The insurrection prompted the Democratic-majority US House of Representatives to impeach Trump a second time.
“Here we stand, just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work on our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground,” Biden said. “It did not happen; it will never happen. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”
Trump flouted another convention as he exited the White House when he did not meet with Biden or attend the inauguration, going against a political tradition that affirms peaceful transfer of power.
Trump, who has never conceded the 3 November election, boarded Air Force One for the last time and left for his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida.
Top Republicans, including former vice president Mike Pence, skipped Trump’s send-off and attended Biden’s inauguration.
Biden faces four immediate challenges: the pandemic, the economic downturn, climate change and racial inequality and he has promised immediate action.
Meanwhile, Biden promised to repair coalitions derailed by Trump and act as a partner for peace, progress and security.
World leaders meanwhile issued congratulations, with several allies expressing relief at Biden’s inauguration.
Biden took the oath administered by US Chief Justice John Roberts on a five-inch heirloom Bible that has been in his family for a century.
Biden has had a five-decade long career in public service, including over three decades in the Senate and two terms as vice-president under Obama.
The pandemic has so far claimed 400,000 lives in the US with 24 million cases—the highest of any country. Millions are jobless amid the pandemic-related lockdowns and curbs.
Biden’s priority is a $1.9 trillion stimulus plan to boost jobless benefits and offer direct payments to households.
But it will require the nod of a divided Congress, where Democrats hold a slim advantage in the House and Senate.
Harris is to swear in three Democratic senators on Wednesday, creating a 50-50 split with herself as the tie-breaking vote.
Biden is scheduled to sign 15 executive actions on issues ranging from the pandemic to the economy to climate change to immigration.
The orders include mandating masks, rejoining the Paris climate accord and ending a travel ban on some Muslim-majority countries.
Photo courtesy: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons