President Donald Trump’s second inauguration speech echoed the same themes as the first: a thorough indictment of the country he inherits and big promises to solve its problems.
Eight years ago, Mr. Trump described “American carnage” and promised to end it immediately. On Monday, he declared that the country’s “decline” would end immediately, ushering in “America’s Golden Age.”
Mr. Trump added a long list of policies that sounded more like a State of the Union address than an inauguration address. But the big themes were fundamentally Trumpian, presenting himself as a national savior.
Breaking with tradition, the Republican president delivered his speech inside the Capitol rotunda due to the freezing cold outside. He spoke to several hundred elected officials and pro-Trump personalities, including technology titan Elon Musk.
From the start, Mr. Trump’s speech followed the approach of campaign rallies: big promises of national success through his leadership, accompanied by plenty of challenges to the status quo.
“America’s golden age begins now,” Mr. Trump said after making requisite winks to former presidents and other dignitaries. He added several other hyperbolic but nebulous promises, namely, the “beginning of an exciting new era.” and a nation “bigger, stronger and more exceptional than ever”.
“Our sovereignty will be reconquered. Our security will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced,” he continued. “Our top priority will be to create a proud, prosperous and free nation.
“A bankrupt nation” as a legacy of “incompetent and corrupt” previous leaders
The underlying presumption, of course, is that Trump inherits what he called throughout the 2024 campaign “a failed nation.”
He pledged to keep his campaign promises to send troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, boost domestic oil production and impose tariffs to “enrich our citizens.”
Mr. Trump has called America’s leaders over the past four years incompetent and corrupt, echoing some of the darker rhetoric he pushed daily as a presidential candidate on the campaign trail.
He did not mention his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, or any other Democrats by name, but there was no doubt who he was talking about.
“We now have a government that can’t handle even a simple crisis at home, while encountering a continuing catalog of catastrophic events abroad,” Mr. Trump said.
He said the current government protects dangerous immigrants instead of law-abiding citizens, protects foreign borders over U.S. borders, and “can no longer provide basic services in times of emergency.”
And, as he often does, Mr. Trump presented himself as the only one who could fix everything.
“All this will change from today, and very quickly,” he said.
As of Monday, Republicans control all three branches of the federal government.
ADVERTISEMENT“A peacemaker and unifier”
Mr. Trump has pledged to end wars abroad and celebrated the role he played in implementing a ceasefire in Gaza. “A peacemaker and a unifier is what I want to be,” Mr. Trump said.
Moments later, he committed to taking back the Panama Canal from Panama. “We’re taking it back!” said Mr. Trump, who had previously refused to rule out the use of military force.
He pledged to pursue policies that “expand our territory” and send American astronauts to Mars – a promise no doubt popular with Musk, a big Trump supporter who has long pursued the same goal.
This promise is at the heart of one of the many contradictions of the Trump movement. The new president revels in a confrontational, macho approach that has won him the support of young men. His political career was built on seeking conflict and dismantling his rivals. Yet Mr. Trump also positioned himself as someone who would end conflict and bring peace.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Rotunda audience leaned heavily in favor of Mr. Trump, with most in attendance applauding and even yelling during his speech. On the other hand, one of the most important seats, that of former presidents, first ladies and vice presidents, remained very silent.
After Mr. Trump reiterated his vow to seize the Panama Canal, falsely claiming that China manages the intercontinental canal, Mr. Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, among others, remained unmoved , as did former President Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who lost to Trump in 2016, turned to her left, reflecting something in the direction of former President George W. Bush. The latter, who joked about the bizarreness of Mr. Trump’s first inauguration speech, displayed a smirk.
Reduced parterre in the footsteps of the Trumpist invasion 4 years ago
Inaugural speeches are traditionally delivered on the National Mall to tens of thousands of enthusiastic supporters, many of whom are ordinary voters from across America, who have traveled long distances to witness history firsthand.
This is not the case with this one.
ADVERTISEMENTMr. Trump delivered his speech to a crowd estimated at about 600 people in the Capitol rotunda, which was limited to members of Congress, cabinet appointees, Mr. Trump’s family, business leaders and officials. political figures. In fact, a group of tech titans, led by Musk and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, sat before cabinet members in some cases. And while business leaders were allowed to bring their spouses, members of Congress were not. Thousands of his supporters watched the broadcast of the swearing-in at Capitol One Arena.
It’s worth noting that four years ago, violent Trump supporters stormed the Capitol rotunda, as members of Congress and Vice President Mike Pence feared for their lives. Mr. Pence attended Monday’s ceremony, but his wife, former second lady Karen Pence, did not.
