WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States Wednesday, inheriting what the Associated Press referred to as “a confluence of crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors.”
“Amid a devastating pandemic and the threat of domestic terrorism, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States shortly before noon on Wednesday, pledging to unite the country and calling on Americans to end the ‘uncivil war’ that has fractured the nation,” reported NBC News. In a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol that kept with tradition while being unlike any other inauguration in U.S. history, Biden took his oath of office before a small, socially distanced audience in a city that has been locked down because of the dual threats of Covid-19, which has killed over 400,000 people in the U.S., and worries over another attack just two weeks after the deadly riot at the Capitol.”
Also sworn in was Vice President Kamala Harris. According to NBC News, Harris, “the daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father — both immigrants — broke a nearly two-century barrier in American politics long dominated by white men on Wednesday when she was inaugurated as the nation’s first female vice president, as well as the first Black American and first person of South Asian descent.”
Beginning his inaugural address, Biden, a Democrat, said, “This is democracy’s day. A day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve. Through a Crucible for the ages, America has been tested anew and America has risen to the challenge.
“Today, we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause. The cause of democracy. The people, the will of the people has been heard and the will of the people has been heeded. We’ve learned again that democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile. And at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.
“So now, on this hallowed ground, where just a few days ago violence sought to shake the Capitol’s very foundation, we come together as one nation under God, indivisible, to carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries.”
Biden succeeds Republican President Donald Trump, who left office Wednesday morning after one term.
For more information and the full text of Biden’s address, visit www.wvtm13.com/article/biden-inauguration/35261133.
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