Pledges to reinforce old alliances; declares ‘America First’; raises slogan of ‘buy American, hire American, make America great again’; says power transferred from Washington to people; leads standing ovation for Hillary Clinton at Congress lunch; Obama goes, Trump comes
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump took power as the 45th president of the United States on Friday and pledged to end "American carnage" of social and economic woes in an inaugural address that was a populist and nationalist rallying cry.
Also, he pledged to “reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth".
Sketching a bleak vision of a country, he said was ravaged by rusted-out factories, crime, gangs and drugs, Trump indirectly blamed his predecessors in the White House for policies that helped Washington at the expense of struggling families.
"From this moment on, it’s going to be America First," the Republican told thousands of people gathered on the grounds of the National Mall, as he took over the presidency from Democrat Barack Obama.
Donald Trump promised to rebuild America's roads, bridges, airports and railways by following "two simple rules: buy American and hire American”. "We are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another -- but we are transferring power
from Washington, DC and giving it back to you, the American People. January 20th, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer."
Under gray skies and in front of a crowd stretching most of the way from the Capitol toward the Washington Monument, Trump took the oath from Chief Justice John Roberts with the new first lady Melania Trump by his side.
"We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, and in every foreign capital and in every hall of power," Trump said. "From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land, from this day forward it's going to be only 'America first! America first!'"
"A new national pride will stir out souls, lift our sights and heal our divisions," Trump said, saying that whether people are black or white they still bleed the same red blood of patriots. And he told Americans listening to the address: "You will never be ignored again."
Crowds looked much smaller than those for Obama’s two inaugurations. Scattered street protests erupted against Trump elsewhere in Washington. "Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families," Trump said.
"This American carnage stops right here and stops right now," he said. Trump, 70, takes over a country divided after a savage election campaign. A wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star who has never held public office, Trump will set the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad.
His address revisited the themes of the campaign speeches that carried him to an improbable victory on Nov 8 over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Obama headed to a vacation in Palm Springs, California, after the ceremony. Before sitting down to lunch in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall, Trump shook hands with both Clintons.
Under pressure to unite the country after the bitterly fought campaign, Trump said that through allegiance to the United States, "we will rediscover our loyalty to each other" and called for a "new national pride" that would help heal divisions.
Abroad, Trump signalled the possibility of a more aggressive approach to Islamic State militants. "We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth," he said.
After repeating the 35-word oath of office, Trump stretched his arms wide and hugged his wife, Melania, and other members of his family. The transition from a Democratic president to a Republican took place before a crowd of former presidents, dignitaries and hundreds of thousands of people on the grounds of the National Mall.
The crowd stretched westward on a cool day of occasional light rain. Former presidents George W Bush and Jimmy Carter were present at the inauguration with their wives. Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, began the day with a prayer service at St John’s Episcopal Church near the White House.
Trump took office with work to do to bolster his image. Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 per cent tariff on goods on imports from US companies that went abroad. His desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for NATO nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional US security umbrella will be diminished.
In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs and stirring international concern.
He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to "knock the hell out of" Islamic State. 70-year-old Trump, who won November's election despite losing the popular contest by 2.8 million votes, more than any winning candidate in history, is probably one of the most unconventional presidents America has had so far.
The real estate mogul turned to politics announcing his candidacy for president on the Republican ticket in 2015, joining a crowded field of more than a dozen major candidates.
During his election campaign, a number of women accused him of sexually assaulting them. He hogged headlines for several suggestive and denigrating remarks against women, including his own daughter.
The National Park Service declined to estimate how many people attended the Trump's inaugural concert but MSNBC estimated the crowd stood at around 10,000. The new US president hosted his inaugural concert at the majestic Lincoln Memorial and pledged to unify a nation sorely divided and clamouring for change.
Performers at outgoing president Barack Obama’s inaugural concert included Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, U2, James Taylor, John Legend, Shakira, Stevie Wonder, Mary J Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks and Sheryl Crow amongst others.
Earlier, US President led a standing ovation for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, saying he was "honoured" that she and her former president husband had attended his inauguration. "I was honoured when I heard that former president Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton were coming today and I would like you to stand up," he said at a Congressional luncheon, urging lawmakers, his cabinet nominees and other dignitaries to stand. "There’s nothing more I can say because I have a lot of respect for those two people," Trump added as attendees rose and clapped for the Clintons.
