Speaking more extensively than he did in 2017 during his first time in the Oval Office, Donald Trump, despite for the first time abandoning in an official ceremony his trademark silk red tie, did not hesitate to describe the Biden administration as “treasonous” in the presence of former President Biden and Vice President Harris.

He emphasized, during what he called the culmination of his greatest political achievement, that all the campaign promises he made on unresolved issues would be implemented immediately.

Trump’s Speech

In 2017, when Trump was first inaugurated, his speech lasted 16 minutes, and the key message of his presidency was encapsulated in the phrase “American carnage.”

This time, Trump spoke longer (around 30 minutes), and his message was once again clear. The 47th President of the United States did not hesitate to open his speech with the same sharp criticism he had directed at Joe Biden and Kamala Harris throughout his campaign.

Trump spoke about the beginning of a new Golden Era for the United States, calling Biden’s four-year term “treasonous.” He referred to a Revolution of Common Sense and the immediate recovery of the country on all levels. He stressed that his first priority is to deploy the military to the southern border with Mexico and seal the borders through the first of many executive orders he plans to sign after his inauguration.

The new President of the United States also spoke about the immediate reduction of prices for essential goods, combating inflation, and investing within the country, particularly in the automotive sector. Trump’s administration will also immediately repeal the electric vehicle legislation and annul Biden’s recent law on drilling: the slogan “Drill, baby, drill” even earned a standing ovation in the Capitol Rotunda.

?President Biden and President-elect Trump arrive side-by-side at the U.S. Capitol. pic.twitter.com/AwzrER289n

— Emily Davies (@ELaserDavies) January 20, 2025

Messages Sent Abroad

Messages were also sent to foreign countries, with Panama and Mexico being the primary recipients.

Trump announced that he would rename the Gulf of Mexico and proceed with the plans for a canal in the southern United States. Despite extending an invitation for the first time to Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Beijing sending its number two official to the inauguration, Trump clarified that he would not “allow China to tax American ships in Panama.”

China’s President Xi Jinping’s envoy, Vice President Han Zheng (left), arrived at the Capitol for Donald Trump’s inauguration.

A Message of Peace

Closing his speech, Trump sent a message of peace, stating that wars would come to an end and, moreover, in a fair manner. He had previously promised to send astronauts to Mars, a statement met with thunderous applause from Elon Musk.

Eight Years, Many Differences – A Smooth Transition

This time, the process was followed according to both the Constitution and the country’s political traditions and customs.

Joe Biden welcomed the new President and First Lady to the White House, as did Vice President Harris for her successor, Vance. After 35 minutes of discussions, Joe Biden and Donald Trump boarded “The Beast,” the heavily armored presidential limousine, together and headed to the Capitol.

In 2020, Donald and Melania Trump had left Washington hours before Biden’s inauguration, even using the presidential aircraft, Air Force One, leaving Joe and Jill Biden to arrive in the capital via private plane and handle all the required transition procedures themselves.

Trump is rumored not to have left even a letter for Biden in the Oval Office, the famous note that one president shares only with their successor and history. Trump’s actions have only occurred two other times in U.S. history during extremely polarized periods in the early 19th century.

The Venue

An indoor inauguration is undoubtedly unusual. The Capitol Rotunda was filled with far fewer people than the crowd typically gathered outside at the temple of American democracy. However, Trump’s second-term inauguration took place at the exact spot where, four years ago, a mob of his supporters had stormed in to demand the cancellation of the election results.

Technology Front and Center

Donald Trump has undeniably accomplished a lot over the last eight years, but today, at the pinnacle of his political triumph, he deliberately chose to send a message to everyone.

No other president in history had involved the most influential figures in technology – and the wealthiest people on the planet – the way Trump did. In full view, just one row behind his own family members, Trump seated not only his close associate Elon Musk but also Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

The “big names” of Silicon Valley were present at Trump’s inauguration at the Capitol. From left: Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk.

Trump, who was expelled from social media platforms in 2021 following the Capitol riot, and the aforementioned figures, who had publicly declared that they would no longer financially support his goals and plans, are now not only back in his inner circle but it is clear that, at least for the next four years, they will have direct access to the American President.