President Donald Trump was sworn into office as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, marking the beginning of his second term as he becomes the second president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
After being sworn in by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Trump delivered his inaugural address promising to bring back “America’s golden age.”
“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world,” Trump said. “We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first.”
Trump’s address laid out what he sees as declining in America, and he promised to restore the country to its former glory in a nearly 29-minute address delivered just after noon on Wednesday in the jam-packed rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building.
“My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all of these many betrayals that have taken place and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and indeed, their freedom,” Trump said during the longest inaugural address in recent history, according to an analysis by NPR. “From this moment on, America’s decline is over.”
He was flanked by former presidents, his Cabinet picks, his family, and now former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Additionally, Trump laid out a flurry of executive actions he plans to take on the first day of his presidency, including invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, promising to use federal and state powers to go after violent immigrants and gangs. He also ordered his Cabinet to use the powers available to them to fight back inflation and declared there would only be two genders in America, among a laundry list of other executive actions he’s pledged to execute on day one.
Trump said the nation is unifying behind his America First agenda, pointing to his gains among populations typically won by Democrats as proof of his vision.
“It is my hope that our recent presidential election will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country,” Trump said. “As our victory showed, the entire nation is rapidly unifying behind our agenda.”
Iowa politicians react to Trump’s inauguration
Iowa’s Republican delegation celebrated Trump’s return to the Oval Office in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, and statements on Monday, as Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House.
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, said that Trump’s inaugural address proved he is committed to tackling the issues Iowans are facing head-on.
“The American people look to our leaders to deliver results and solve the many crises affecting our country,” Nunn said in a news release Monday. “Together, we will make meaningful progress toward a stronger, more prosperous future for all Americans.”
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, said she is excited to work with Trump to “fix what Biden broke.”
“It’s a new day in our great country,” Hinson said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “President Trump will fix what Biden broke, and I look forward to ushering in the next era of American prosperity under his leadership.”
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, said she is ready to work with Trump “to clean up the Biden-Harris mess and restore America to her glory.”
“After four long years, we can rejoice that President Trump is back in the White House!” Miller-Meeks wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Miller-Meeks said Biden’s policies brought economic challenges, threatened women’s sports, and endangered Iowans with his relaxed immigration policies.
“That ends today,” Miller-Meeks wrote.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart criticized Trump for taking a vengeful voice during his inauguration address instead of the unifying tone typically used in inaugural addresses.
“While President Trump’s speech did not attempt [unify], nevertheless, we celebrate the peaceful transfer of power that defines our democracy,” Hart said in a news release Monday. “Our nation is strong and resilient, and our people have the desire and the power to come together to chart the course of our future. We are blessed to live in such a democracy.”