On January 20th, 2021, Joseph R. Biden and Kamala D. Harris were sworn into office. Biden became the 46th President of the United States while Harris became the 49th Vice-President of the United States. Biden is only the second Catholic to hold this position, while Harris is the first woman and first person of color in her position. Both Biden and Harris officially took control of the government’s Twitter accounts @POTUS and @VP, respectively. 

This morning, Donald Trump and his wife Melania left the White House via helicopter in order to begin the peaceful transfer of power. Trump left his supporters with the ominous message of “We will be back in some form.” He did not attend Biden’s inauguration, though Former Vice President Mike Pence went with his wife. 

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Biden supporters were not able to gather at the National Mall. Instead, 191,500 American flags were placed to represent those who could not attend. The flags were separated into areas designated for the 50 states and 6 U.S. territories. 

Biden’s inauguration was hosted by Tony Goldwyn, an actor who played Biden on the show Scandal. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama attended with their wives. The parade had performers from Washington D.C., as well as from all of the U.S. states and territories. Some of the more prominent entertainers present at the inauguration were Lady Gaga, who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner;” Katy Perry; John Legend; and Justin Timberlake. Jennifer Lopez performed with the United States Marine Band, singing a medley of classic American songs including “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful.” She proudly proclaimed that the US is “Una nación debajo a Dios indivisible con libertad y justicia para todos. Let’s get loud!”

This year’s inaugural poet was Amanda Gorman. At just 22 years old, she is the youngest inaugural poet. She composed “The Hill We Climb” as a response to the rioting at the Capitol. In her poem, she proclaimed  that she never imagined a skinny black girl like herself would be giving a speech at the presidential inauguration. She stated that “while democracy can be periodically delayed, It can never be permanently defeated.” 

In his inaugural address, Biden proclaimed that “The will of the people has been heard…democracy has prevailed.” He plans to “secure the future of America” by fighting political extremism, white supremacy, and domestic terrorism. He believes that his country will bounce back as it always has throughout times of great turmoil. Biden also stressed the need for unity in order to prevent “bitterness and fury.” He promised “to be a president for all Americans. All Americans. And I will fight as hard for those who did not support me, as for those who did.”

Biden signed 15 executive orders on his first day in order to reverse Trump’s policies. These include stopping construction on the US-Mexican border wall, rejoining the Paris Agreement as well as the World Health Organization, and ending the Muslim travel ban. In February, he will begin to tackle his hardest challenge yet: reestablishing the United States’ reputation.

Welcome to office, Mr. President.