National Post (National Edition)
BIDEN'S FIRST ACT
Sworn in as the 46th U.S. president, Biden pledges to unite the country and immediately sets about undoing Trump policies
Democracy is fragile. And at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed
An extraordinary, sometimes violent, transition of American power came to a peaceful end Wednesday, as Joe Biden ascended to the presidency, dedicated himself to healing a fractured nation — and immediately repudiated many of predecessor Donald Trump's policies.
Protected by 25,000 National Guard troops who helped turn Washington, D.C., into a fortified city, Biden was sworn in at the same U.S. Capitol building where two weeks ago pro-Trump rioters crashed inside, eager to overturn the Democrat's victory.
Five people died in that melee, raising fears of more violence at Wednesday's inauguration. It didn't materialize.
The longtime Washington politician railed in his speech against disinformation, political extremism, white supremacy and domestic terrorism. He promised to put his “whole soul” into uniting Americans, governing for those who voted against him as well as his loyalists.
“We must end this uncivil war that pits red versus blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal,” said Biden, 78, who was vice president under Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017.
“Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire, destroying everything in its path,” he said. “Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for total war. And we must reject the culture where facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured.”
The inauguration also marked a historic breakthrough, as Kamala Harris became the first woman and first person of Black and South Asian background to be sworn in as vice president.
But a key challenge for the pair quickly became clear: how to combine an agenda of national unity with a desire to sharply alter the course steered by Republican Trump.
Biden started work soon after the warmth and good feeling of the inauguration, and was expected to fire off a salvo of executive orders. U.S. media quoted aides as saying they would halt the process Trump began of withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization, take the first steps to rejoining the Paris climate accord and cancel approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada.
As of Wednesday, the Democrats now have a slim majority in both houses of the U.S. Congress, which should help Biden push through his program.
But there were early signs of inevitable pushback. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he welcomed Biden’s pro-unity rhetoric, while predicting the president would meet stiff opposition.
“Whereas the left’s policy blueprint is one of division, censorship, political correctness, hypocrisy, wokeness and disdain for our Judeo-Christian heritage, the Republican Party is emerging as an increasingly diverse, patriotic, pro-worker party committed to equality of opportunity,” he asserted in a column for the Fox News network.
Trump, meanwhile, slipped out of town in a fashion as unconventional as much of his tumultuous term in office. The first president to be impeached twice also became the first in 150 years to spurn his successor’s inauguration, holding a small rally instead where he touted “an incredible four years” as president.
His vice president, Mike Pence, and former Republican president George W. Bush were among the dignitaries who did attend the ceremony.
In a short speech before he left Washington, Trump recapped what he considered his accomplishments, including a major tax cut, pared-back regulations and the appointment of scores of federal judges. He never mentioned Biden by name, but wished the new administration well, saying it could do some “spectacular things” if it built on his foundation.
“We will be back in some form,” Trump pledged before jetting off to his new home in Florida. “Have a good life. We will see you soon.”
For two months after the Nov. 3 election, the 45th president had insisted, absent any real evidence, that the vote had been rigged against him and that he had, in fact, won. He contributed to a flood of conspiracy theories and disinformation, while encouraging followers to march on the Capitol Jan. 6.
The result was what many Americans call an insurrection, where rioters — including members of white supremacist and other far-right groups — attacked police, vandalized the domed Capitol and briefly occupied the Senate chamber.
Supported by 10 Republicans, Democrats in the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump last week, accusing him of having spurred on the rioters with lies about the election and a speech that same day exhorting supporters to confront Congress.
The new president said the electoral system and truth itself had been assaulted, but that “democracy has prevailed.”
He urged Trump supporters to “hear me out.” And Republican voters were expected to get an early taste of what’s to come with those executive orders Wednesday.
As well as directives aimed at renewing the fight against climate change, U.S. media reported there would be orders reversing the ban on travellers from predominantly Muslim and African countries and bolstering a program protecting so-called “Dreamers” — children who came to the United States with parents who had immigrated illegally.
In the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, security forces took no chances Wednesday. The National Mall, typically packed with hundreds of thousands of spectators taking in the inauguration, was barricaded and off limits. Access to the Capitol was also cordoned off for blocks.
Biden and his wife Jill, now the First Lady, made the traditional celebratory walk into the White House through largely deserted downtown streets.
But there were attempts at adding pizzazz to the uncharacteristically sombre event, held as the American death toll from COVID-19 soared past 400,000 people. In the U.S. tradition of blending politics and entertainment, pop and country stars Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks sprinkled the inauguration itself with performances.
Later, the usual public celebrations were replaced with a “virtual parade,” hosted by the likes of comedian John Stewart.
WE WILL BE BACK IN SOME FORM.
HAVE A GOOD LIFE.