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.
In an impassioned address, Biden repeatedly stressed the
need for unity, calling it the only "path forward."
"I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a
foolish fantasy these days, I know the forces that divide are deep and they are
real," he said. "Our history has been a constant struggle between the
American ideal that we're all created equal and the harsh ugly reality of
racism, nativism, fear, demonization."
"This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge —
and unity is the path forward," he said.
"The answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into
competing factions, distrusting those who don't look like you or worship the
way you do, or don't get their news from the same sources you do," the
president added a moment later.
"We must end this uncivil war that pits red against
blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we
open our souls instead of hardening our hearts — if we show a little tolerance
and humility, and if we're willing to stand in the other person's shoes,"
he continued.
Biden vowed to move quickly to address the pandemic, the
subsequent economic collapse, racial justice, climate change and political
extremism.
He also repudiated the mob that had attacked the Capitol on
Jan. 6 and promised he would be president for all Americans, including those
who didn't vote for him.
"With unity we can do great things, important things.
We can right wrongs. We can put people to work in good jobs, we can teach our
children in safe schools, we can overcome the deadly virus," he said.
"We can deliver racial justice and we can make America once again a leading
force for good in the world."
While Biden did not once mention Donald Trump by name, his
21-minute speech served as a powerful rebuttal of his predecessor.
Biden’s refutation of Trump was especially apparent when he,
in the opening words of his speech, reflected on the fragility of democracy,
and indirectly referred to how Trump’s efforts to subvert the results of the
2020 election nearly shattered the country.
"Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but
of a cause, the cause of democracy,” he said."We've learned again that
democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile, and, at this hour, my friends,
democracy has prevailed."
As is tradition, the chief justice of the United States,
John Roberts, administered the oath of office to Biden just before the clock
struck 12. Biden took the oath with his hand on top of his 127-year-old,
5-inch-thick family Bible, which will be held by his wife, Jill Biden.
Moments earlier, Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first
woman, the first Black American and the first South Asian American vice
president by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina member of the Supreme
Court.
At 78, Biden is the oldest president to take office. And
with his inauguration coming just two weeks to the day after a violent mob of
Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, the stakes for his inaugural address
couldn't have been much higher.
His swearing-in cemented Democratic control of the White
House and both chambers of Congress. That, however, isn't likely to make
Biden's job any easier. Democrats hold a razor-thin majority in the House, and
their control of the 50-50 Senate is only thanks to Harris' ability to cast a
tie-breaking vote as vice president.
In attendance at the scaled-down ceremony were most members
of Congress and the Supreme Court and former Presidents Barack Obama, George W.
Bush and Bill Clinton, and their spouses, as well as Vice President Mike Pence.
Among those who were not present was Trump, making him the
first president to skip his successor's inauguration in more than 150 years. As
he left the White House on Wednesday morning, he told reporters that serving as
president was "the honor of a lifetime" and claimed that "we've
accomplished a lot."
Trump and his wife, Melania, then participated in a send-off
ceremony before a small group at Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland, where the
outgoing president said about his exit, "hopefully, it's not a long-term
goodbye."
"We will be back in some form," Trump said before
boarding Air Force One for the last time to fly to his private club in Palm
Beach, Florida. "We were not a regular administration."
Trump, who spent months falsely claiming that the 2020
election was stolen from him, also wished his successors good luck — although
he never referred to Biden or Harris as the president or vice president.
"I wish the new administration great luck and great
success. I think they'll have great success. They have the foundation to do
something really spectacular," he said.
He left Biden a note before he left the White House, as is
custom, the White House said. The contents have not been made public.
Because of the pandemic, only about 1,000 people attended
the inauguration, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
said. In normal times, the committee makes 200,000 tickets available for
members of Congress.
Extra security precautions stemming from the Capitol attack
included over 25,000 National Guard members who were called up to keep the
event secure and extra security fencing erected near the Capitol. In addition,
the White House and numerous streets were completely shut down.
The National Mall, usually a place for onlookers to gather,
was also closed.
Inside the West Wing earlier Wednesday, White House
residence staffers and Secret Service agents appeared to be starting the
well-choreographed, yet frantic, changeover from one administration to the
next. The process was even more taxing this year, since workers won’t have the
usual amount of time afforded, given the cancellation of the inaugural luncheon
and traditional in-person parade.