A new day, a new president. This morning, the keys to the presidency were officially handed over from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. The occasion was a momentous one, signalling a new administration in the time of COVID and also the first female Vice President in history.
It was an early start for Aussies hoping to catch all the action, so if you missed it you can watch the full 7-hour ceremony below.
If you’d rather just skip to the good bits, here are some of the key moments from the 2021 inauguration.
Donald Trump’s Goodbye
Before we could begin the inauguration it was time for Donald Trump to leave the White House. Trump gave a farewell speech to his supporters before boarding Air Force One to return to Florida. Although he couldn’t leave without planting the seeds of his comeback.
The National Anthem
Eternal queen Lady Gaga delivered the National Anthem at the inauguration – and she absolutely slayed it. Check out the full performance below.
The Oath
The biggest part of the inauguration ceremony is the Oath of Office, which both the new Vice President and President must take.
Kamala Harris was sworn in first as Vice President by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, becoming the first female to hold the VP title.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts conducted the swearing-in ceremony for Biden, who placed his hand on his own family’s Bible during the oath.
Joe Biden’s first speech as President
After his official swearing-in, Joe Biden addressed the American people as their President for the first time. The 20-minute speech highlighted the need for the American people to come together.
The inaugural poet
You may have heard about the stellar reading that Amanda Gorman delivered at the inauguration. As the youngest ever inaugural poet at just 22 years of age, Gorman delivered an original composition titled “The Hill We Climb”. Check out her inspiring reading below.
Jennifer Lopez’s Performance
Lady Gaga wasn’t the only star performance during the inauguration. Jennifer Lopez sang a mash-up of ‘This Land Is Your Land’ and ‘America The Beautiful’, and even dropped a subtle ‘Let’s Get Loud’ reference throughout.
Pass In Review
After the ceremony wrapped up, President Biden and Vice President Harris took part in the traditional Pass in Review. This is a long-standing military tradition in the U.S. which symbolises the transition of power to a new commander-in-chief.
Arlington Cemetery Wreath Laying
Following the pass in review, the presidential party moved to Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C. to lay a wreath in honour of fallen U.S. servicemen and women.
Previous presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and their wives, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush joined the new President and Vice President and their SO’s Dr. Jill Biden and Doug Emhoff at the ceremony.
After Party
Very shortly the ‘Celebrating America’ TV special will be kicking off with host Tom Hanks. It’ll feature some star appearances from the likes of Justin Timberlake, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jon Bon Jovi. You can follow along with the live-stream or watch the replay from the video below.
And that’s what you missed from this very historic, very welcome, presidential inauguration. Now we’ll have to wait and see what Biden and Harris get done in their next four years.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.