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Donald Trump has been sworn in and is now the 47th president of the United States.
You can watch the ceremony here.
Trump has finished his speech now, and he wrapped up his remarks by pledging to restore the United States as the “most powerful, most respected” nation in the world.
Trump said he would take the country back to traditional values.
“I stand before you now as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do in America. The impossible is what we do best,” he said.
President Donald Trump speaks during the 60th presidential inauguration.Credit: AP
“Our country was forged and built by the generations of patriots who gave everything they had for our rights and for our freedom. They were farmers and soldiers, cowboys and factory workers, steelworkers and coal miners, police officers and pioneers who pushed onward, marched forward and let no obstacle defeat their spirit or their pride.”
“Together, they laid down the railroads, raised up the skyscrapers, built great highways, won two world wars, defeated fascism and communism, and triumph over every single challenge that they face. After all we have been through together, we stand on the verge of the four greatest years in American history.”
As the audience inside the rotunda regularly stand to applaud Trump at various times throughout his address, the Bidens, the Clintons, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama and George W Bush are among a select few that have remained seated.
Bush at times has applauded parts of Trump’s address – which featured heavy and repeated criticism of Joe Biden’s presidency, among others – but then seems to stop himself.
Former presidents watch Trump’s inauguration address.Credit: Getty Images
Amid standing ovations from the crowd, the presidential section remained in their seats.Credit: AP
Biden and Harris did stand and applaud when Trump mentioned the release of the three Israeli hostages and the ceasefire but not before they gave each other a nervous glance.
And Hillary Clinton even burst out laughing when Trump announced he was changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
While sitting at Trump’s inauguration, Joe Biden issued five more pre-emptive pardons – this time for members of his own family.
The pardons came after granting protections for covid csar Anthony Fauci, retired general Mark Milley and staffers who investigated the attack on the US capitol, including former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.Credit: AP
In a statement moments before Trump took the oath of office, Biden announced pardons for his brother James Biden and his wife Sara Jones Biden; his sister Valerie Biden Owens and her husband John Owens, ; and another brother, Francis Biden.
“My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me—the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.”
Trump announced he will sign a series of executive orders this afternoon, within his first few hours in office, starting by declaring an emergency on the southern border, for which he receives a standing ovation.
“All illegal entry will immediately be halted,” he said, plus the start of what he promises to be the biggest deportation of illegal immigrants in US history.
The Democrats remained seated for Donald Trump’s speech. Credit: AP
He promises to send troops to the border to “repel the disastrous invasion of our country”, and to designate the Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organisations.
“As commander-in-chief I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions.”
He also vowed to “drill baby drill”, declared a “national energy emergency” and vowed to sign an executive order to “bring back free speech”.
As the audience inside the rotunda stand to applaud Trump at various times throughout his address, the Bidens, the Clintons, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama and George W Bush are among a select few that have remained seated.
Donald Trump told the inauguration audience that he had been tested and challenged more than any other president in the history of the United States.
“The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one that I can tell you,” he said.
President Donald Trump speaks during the 60th presidential inauguration.Credit: AP
“Those who wished to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed to take my life just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear,” he said.
“I felt then and believe, even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America Great Again.”
Donald Trump began his first speech as the 47th president by vowing “the golden age of America begins right now”.
“I return to the presidency, confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success – a tide of change is sweeping the country,” he said.
Donald Trump was sworn in as president. Credit: Bloomberg
“Sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before, but first, we must be honest about the challenges we face.”
He went on to list what he views as the failures of the current government. He said the government can’t protect “law-abiding American citizens”.
President Donald Trump speaks.Credit: AP
He took a swipe at Biden, saying the government no longer provides basic services, has an education system that teaches children to “be ashamed of themselves” and an inadequate health system.
“My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal at all of these many betrayals that have taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom from this moment on,” he said.
“America’s decline is over.”
Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, began the ceremony earlier this morning by talking about the importance of democracy and has urged Americans to view others with a “generosity of spirit” despite our differences.
“With that responsibility of leadership, comes an obligation to stand our ground when we must, and find common ground when we can, with everything swirling around us, the hot mess of division, it is on all of us …. to ensure that our nation’s democracy is our shelter from the storm.”
Donald Trump is now the 47th president of the United States, sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Trump celebrated with his family members but appeared to ignore Joe Biden and Kamala Harris immediately after the swearing in.
His son Barron shook the outgoing president and vice president’s hands.
Donald Trump was sworn in as president. Credit: AP
JD Vance has now been sworn in as vice president.
Sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice Brett Kavanaugh, this makes him the first Millennial to hold this level of office in the United States.
JD Vance and Donald Trump. Credit: AP
A packed rotunda stood as one as Donald Trump arrived, where he attempted to kiss his wife Melania but appeared to be blocked by the brim of her hat.
He shared another short exchange with Joe Biden and was greeted by his Vice President-elect J.D Vance.
Donald Trump, right, and J.D. Vance, left, on stage before taking their oaths of office. Credit: AP
