, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, as the 47th president on Monday, taking charge as Republicans assume unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country鈥檚 institutions.
Trump will act swiftly after , with already prepared for his signature to jumpstart deportations, increase fossil fuel development and reduce civil service protections for government workers.
He plans to declare the beginning of 鈥渁 thrilling new era of national success鈥� as 鈥渁 tide of change is sweeping the country,鈥� according to excerpts of his inaugural address.
The executive orders are the first step in what Trump will call 鈥渢he complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense.鈥�
Frigid weather is rewriting the pageantry of the day. Trump鈥檚 swearing-in to the Capitol Rotunda 鈥� the first time that has happened in 40 years 鈥� and the inaugural parade was replaced by an event at a downtown arena. Throngs of Trump supporters who descended on the city to watch the inaugural ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol from the National Mall will be left to find somewhere else to view the festivities.
鈥淲e needed a change. The country was going in the wrong direction in so many ways, economically, geopolitically, so many social issues at home,鈥� sad Joe Morse, 56, of New Jersey, who got in line with his sons at 11 p.m. Sunday and secured a spot on the main floor at Capitol One Arena to watch a livestream of the swearing-in.
Trump, who spent Saturday and Sunday night at Blair House across from the White House, began the day alongside much of his incoming Cabinet with a prayer service at St. John鈥檚 Episcopal Church. He and his wife, Melania, were greeted at the North Portico of the executive mansion by outgoing President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for the customary tea and coffee reception. It was a stark departure from four years ago, when Trump refused to acknowledge Biden鈥檚 victory or attend his inauguration.
鈥淲elcome home,鈥� Biden said to Trump after the president-elect stepped out of the car.
The two men and their spouses will head to the Capitol in a joint motorcade ahead of the swearing-in.
When Trump takes the oath of office at noon, he will realize a political comeback without precedent in American history. Four years ago, he was voted out of the White House during an economic collapse caused by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Trump denied his defeat and tried to cling to power. He directed his supporters to while lawmakers were certifying the election results, sparking a riot that interrupted the country鈥檚 tradition of the peaceful transfer of power.
But Trump never lost his grip on the Republican Party and was undeterred by criminal cases and as he steamrolled rivals and harnessed voters鈥� exasperation with inflation and illegal immigration.
鈥淚 am ready for a new United States,鈥� said Cynde Bost, 63, from Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
Now Trump will be the first person 鈥� for falsifying business records related to hush money payments 鈥� to serve as president. He will pledge to 鈥減reserve, protect and defend鈥� the Constitution from the same spot that was overrun by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. He鈥檚 said that one of his first acts in office will be to pardon many of those who participated in the riot.
Eight years after he first entered the White House as a political newcomer, Trump is far more familiar with the operations of federal government and emboldened to bend it to his vision. Trump wants to bring quick change by curtailing immigration, enacting tariffs on imports and rolling back Democrats鈥� climate and social initiatives.
He has also promised retribution against his political opponents and critics, and placed personal loyalty as a prime qualification for appointments to his administration.
Hours before the inauguration, outgoing President Joe Biden to current and former government officials who have been the target of Trump鈥檚 anger, shielding them from the possibility of prosecution. Biden said in a statement that 鈥渢hese are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing.鈥�
Trump has pledged to go further and move faster in enacting his agenda than during his first term, and already the country鈥檚 political, business and technology leaders have realigned themselves to accommodate Trump. Democrats who once formed a 鈥渞esistance鈥� are now divided over whether to work with Trump or defy him. Billionaires have lined up to meet with Trump as they acknowledge his unrivaled power in Washington and ability to wield the levers of government to help or hurt their interests.
Long skeptical of American alliances, Trump鈥檚 鈥淎merica First鈥� foreign policy is being watched warily at home and abroad as Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine will soon enter its third year and a fragile ceasefire appears to be holding in Gaza after more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
At the Capitol, Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn-in first, taking the oath read by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on a bible given to him by his great-grandmother. Trump will follow, using both a family bible and the one used by President Abraham Lincoln at his 1861 inauguration as Chief Justice John Roberts administers his oath.
The inaugural festivities began Saturday, when Trump arrived in Washington on a government jet and viewed fireworks at his private golf club in suburban Virginia. On Sunday, he laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery and rallied his supporters at Washington鈥檚 downtown Capital One Arena.
A cadre of billionaires and tech titans who have sought to curry favor with Trump and have donated handsomely to his inaugural festivities, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, will be in attendance.
Also present will be the head of TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned social media app deemed a national security risk by the U.S. Trump has promised to lift an effective ban on TikTok through one of many executive orders expected to be issued on Monday as the new president attempts to show quick progress.
At his Sunday rally, Trump teased , promising that 鈥渂y the time the sun sets鈥� on Monday he will have signed executive orders involving border security and immigration policy.
Trump is planning to swiftly reinstitute his 2020 playbook to crackdown on the southern border 鈥� again declaring a national emergency, limiting the number of refugees entering the U.S. and deploying the military. But this time he plans executive actions pairing previous moves with additional 鈥� and constitutionally questionable 鈥� ones, including attempting to end birthright citizenship automatically bestowed on people born in the U.S.
Trump will also sign an executive order aimed at ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government. The order will direct federal agencies to coordinate with the White House on identifying and terminating DEI programs. Conservatives have long criticized programs that give preference based on race, gender and sexual orientation, arguing they violate the Constitution.
Others orders are expected to allow more oil and gas drilling by rolling back Biden-era policies on domestic energy production and rescind Biden鈥檚 recent directive on artificial intelligence.
More changes are planned for the federal workforce. Trump wants to unwind diversity, equity and inclusion programs known as DEI, require employees to come back to the office and lay the groundwork to reduce staff.
鈥淓xpect shock and awe,鈥� said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
鈥淲hat I鈥檝e been urging the president, and my colleagues, to do is stay laser-focused on delivering on our promises,鈥� Cruz said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 what I expect that we鈥檙e going to do.鈥�
With control of Congress, Republicans are also working alongside the incoming Trump administration on legislation that will further roll back Biden administration policies and institute their own priorities.
鈥淭he president is going to come in with a flurry of executive orders,鈥� said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. 鈥淎nd we are going to be working alongside the administration and in tandem.鈥�
