‘Democracy’s day’: Joe Biden sworn in as US president
Joe Biden has been sworn in as president of the United States, entering the White House at a time of deep division in the country.
Raising his right hand and placing his left on a bible, Biden took the oath of office on Wednesday during a scaled-down inauguration due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 400,000 people in the US.
“This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. A day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve,” Biden said.
“Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause – the cause of democracy.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman and first person of colour to hold the post, was sworn in shortly before Biden.
Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband Doug Emhoff holds the bible [Saul Loeb/Pool via AP Photo]
The inauguration took place amid ongoing security concerns in the US capital in the aftermath of a deadly riot on January 6, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building as Congress met to certify Biden’s election victory.
Thousands of security forces were deployed, giving a strange feeling to what is normally a celebratory event enjoyed by thousands of people.
In an extremely rare move, Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump chose to not attend the ceremony.
Trump left the White House early on Wednesday morning, travelling on the Marine One helicopter to a farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, before flying to Florida. He briefly spoke to reporters, calling his term the “honour of a lifetime” and an “amazing four years”.
Trump speaks as he departs from the Joint Base Andrews, Maryland [Carlos Barria/Reuters]
“I will always fight for you. I will be watching. I will be listening,” Trump said, adding “we will be back in some form.”
Biden has promised to overturn several Trump administration policies, including rescinding the so-called “Muslim ban” barring entry into the US for citizens from Muslim-majority countries, as well as rejoining the Paris climate accord.
Paul Beck, a professor emeritus of political science at Ohio State University, told Al Jazeera that Biden faces huge challenges at the outset of his presidency and “it begins of course with the pandemic”.
The US has recorded the most cases and deaths associated with COVID-19 in the world and the incoming head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that coronavirus deaths could surpass half a million next month.
“We are still a deeply polarised country,” Beck added.