Donald Trump Promises ‘New Golden Age’ After He is Sworn in As 47th US President

Donald Trump promises ‘new golden age’ after he is sworn in as 47th US president

1qDonald Trump has been sworn in as the 47th US president – watch his inauguration live by clicking the button at the top of this page or follow on BBC Sounds

“The golden age of America begins right now,” he says in his address, adding that the country will “flourish and be respected” under his leadership as a “peacemaker and a unifier”

Trump also hits out at the Biden administration and its handling of the migrant crisis, saying the country has a crisis of “trust” in its government

Tech billionaires, cabinet nominees and former presidents were all at the ceremony in the rotunda of the US Capitol

Minutes before Trump took the oath, Joe Biden issued pardons for members of his family

Trump is set to declare a “national emergency” at the US-Mexico border, declare drug cartels as terrorists, and scrap government diversity programmes as part of a blitz of executive orders in the coming hours

But he won’t announce tariffs on trade partners today, officials say

Analysis: What will Trump’s second act look like? The BBC’s North America editor Sarah Smith takes a look

Vance heaps praises on president’s inaugural address

President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance are now addressing US lawmakers in the Capitol.

Trump was introduced by his vice-president, who remarked that the president’s inaugural address was “a hell of a way to start the next four years”.

Donald Trump spoke of his desire to be a “peacemaker and unifier,” and followed up with a brief reference to yesterday’s breakthrough in the Middle East.

But to his global audience, this was another tough, challenging address, full of references to American strength and potential, if familiar, threats to those who stand in its way.

Trump called the Panama Canal a “foolish gift” to Panama and repeated his pledge to do something about it.

“We’re taking it back,” he warned.

The Gulf of Mexico, he said, would henceforth be known as the Gulf of America.

There was an almost throwaway line that under his leadership, America would be a country that “expands its borders,” although this was quickly followed by a pledge to plant the American flag on Mars.

A few yards away, Elon Musk greeted that line with a broad grin.

Trump repeated an old threat to treat drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations.

And of course, the president threw down the gauntlet of tariffs to the global economy.

“We will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” he warned.

How all of this squares with his conviction that “sunlight is pouring over the entire world,” remains to be seen.

Did inflation reach a record high?

Listing the things he wanted to change, President Trump said on the economy: “I will direct all members of my cabinet… to defeat what was record inflation.”

Inflation was high under the Biden administration, but it wasn’t the highest on record.

It hit 9.1% in June 2022 as America – like other countries – experienced high inflation as global supply chain issues, linked to Covid and the war in Ukraine, contributed to rising prices.

That’s nowhere near the worst in history – the record was 23.7% in 1920, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

US inflation has fallen – under former President Biden – with the latest monthly figure at 2.9% as of December 2024, according to the BLS.

Now-former President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have just boarded the Marine One helicopter to leave Washington DC, with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walking them to the stairs to bid them farewell.

Former Vice-President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff got into a car as they also departed the ceremony, with hugs from the Bidens.

Large crowds have gathered inside the Capital One arena in downtown Washington

Security officials here tell me the Secret Service has now shut the entrance to the Capital One arena so crowds are being diverted elsewhere.

As a reminder, we’re expecting Donald Trump to address crowds here later. Some have been waiting for several hours to secure a seat in the hall.

When I arrived at the Capitol Hill complex and entered one of the House office buildings, Trump was delivering his speech.

Security remains extremely tight with police officers stationed on every street corner.

As I walked to the press gallery, I peered into some meeting rooms to see large groups of congressional staffers gathered to watch the inauguration.

It was quiet in the halls as most found a location to watch his inaugural address.

You could hear Trump’s voice echoing throughout the halls as it streamed in different rooms, interrupted only by the sounds of occasional claps and cheers.

Opera singer Christopher Macchio now sings America’s national anthem – the Star-Spangled Banner – with Donald Trump seen saluting throughout.

The president then exited the Capitol Rotunda, marking an end to his inaugural ceremony.

Unlike on other subjects in Trump’s inaugural address, a short section on trade did not include a mention of a specific executive order to introduce new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China or others.

It’s something he has repeatedly promised to deliver on his first day in office.

He told the audience: “I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.”

Many economists argue it will be US consumers who pay the bill for tariffs as companies compensate with the prices charged in the shops.

That won’t help cut inflation – something Trump promised earlier in the speech.

The ceremony is now concluding with prayers to bless newly sworn-in President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance for their upcoming term in office.

It’s time for a musical performance following Trump’s inauguration speech from US country singer Carrie Underwood.

After her backing track stops seconds in, there is a few seconds of silence as former presidents look around the room to see what’s happening.

Underwood then begins to sing a cappella – along with help from the inauguration audience. She’s singing America the Beautiful.

Donald Trump has finished his inaugural address – a mix of sharp jabs against the outgoing Democratic administration and a promise of better things to come.

As former President Joe Biden – and other Democrats – sat stoically behind him, Trump claimed a mandate to reverse “a horrible betrayal” that had taken place. He lashed out at what he called a “radical and corrupt establishment that has extracted power and wealth from our nation”.

“All of this will change starting today,” he said.

From there, Trump turned to what he proposed to do – detailing a string of executive actions on immigration and energy, and pledging to end government-mandated diversity programmes. He repeated his pledge to change the name of Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and to take back the Panama Canal.

“The US will once again consider itself a growing nation,” he said, pledging to increase American wealth and expand “our territory”.

That last bit might catch the ear of US allies, who have already been concerned by Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland and quips about making Canada the 51st US state.

On the campaign trail, and in this speech, Trump made a series of big promises. Now that he is president, he will be challenged to deliver – and show what the “golden age” he heralds actually means.

Trump acknowledges his political comeback and says “the American people have spoken”.

“I stand before you as proof that you should never believe something is impossible to do. In America, doing the impossible is what we do best,” Trump says.

He concludes by saying that America will not be conquered or intimidated

“We will not fail. From this day on, the United States of America will be a free, sovereign and independent nation,” he says.

“The future is ours, and our golden age has just begun.”

Trump underscores that his message to Americans is “to act with courage, vigour and the vitality of history’s greatest civilisation”.

He speaks of ambition and reaching “new heights of victory and success.”

Trump adds that the US will increase its wealth, expand its territory and carry its flag into new horizons – including on Mars.

“We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, to plant the stars and stripes on planet Mars,” he says.

Trump is talking about the Panama Canal, a “foolish gift that should have never been made” to Panama, he says.

He falsely claims “China is operating” the Panama Canal.

“We didn’t give it to China. We’re taking it back,” he says, to applause from his supporters while Biden and Harris sit expressionless in the crowd.

For context: President Trump earlier this month refused to rule out military force to seize it. He made the remark during a news conference at which he also falsely stated that the Panama Canal was being operated by Chinese soldiers

On the Middle East, Trump is now saying he will be a “peacemaker and unifier” and talks about the three Israeli hostages who had been held by Hamas in Gaza and were returned to their families yesterday.

“America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on earth, inspiring the awe and admiration from the entire world” he says.

He says they will soon be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.

He also says they’ll restore the name of William McKinley to Mount McKinley – which he says is “where it should be and belongs”.

I’ll deliver a ‘colour-blind and merit-based’ society – president

Trump says he will end what he says has been government policy to bring race and gender into “every aspect of public and private life,” vowing to forge a society that is “colour-blind and merit-based” instead.

He adds that, as of today, it will be official policy of the US government that there are only two genders, male and female.

Trump says he’ll immediately begin an overhaul of trade, and that he is establishing the “External Revenue Service” to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues.

He says these revenues will come from “foreign sources”.

“The American dream will soon be back and thriving like never before,” the president says.

He talks about the establishment of DOGE – the new department of government efficiency.

“After years and years of illegal and unconstitutional restriction of expression, I will also sign an Executive Order to stop all censorship and bring back free speech to America,” he says.

A mixture of reactions on display inside Capitol

Inside the Rotunda, Trump is receiving a lot of applause and cheers from those sat in front of him. Many stand as they listen to the president speak.

But it’s a different story for some of the officials sat behind him, which include his former presidential opponent Kamala Harris and former President Joe Biden.

President promises to make America a ‘rich nation again’

Trump is continuing on with his economic plans for the country.

He says the US will be a “rich nation again” because of the “liquid gold under our feet”.

He details his plans for the auto industry, saying