Inauguration day: Joe Biden says his ‘whole soul’ is in the task of unifying US
New US President Joe Biden has invoked Abraham Lincoln in his inauguration speech today by saying his “whole soul is in” the task of unifying America in the wake of Donald Trump’s divisive presidency.
Biden also referenced the Trump-inspired riot at the Capitol just 13 days ago on numerous occasions, saying that the events showed “democracy is precious, democracy is fragile and at this hour my friends democracy has prevailed”.
The former Vice President took the oath of office just before 5pm London time in front of roughly 2,000 members of congress, Democratic party figures, former presidents and other Washington VIPs.
Former President Trump did not attend.
Biden was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts with his hand placed on top of a bible that has been in his family since 1893.
Kamala Harris was also sworn in as the 49th US Vice President, becoming the first woman and first African American to hold the office.
The President recounted in the speech how Lincoln once said that his “whole soul” was in the emancipation proclamation and that the abolition of slavery would be what he is remembered for.
“Today on this January, today my whole soul is in this – bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our people,” Biden said.
“I ask every American to join us in this cause.
“We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative vs 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 for just a moment.”
Biden used much of the speech to implicitly repudiate Trump’s legacy, saying “we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured”.
“Here we stand just days after a riotous mob thought they could silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground,” he said.
“It did not happen, it will never happen – not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”
The former Vice President also struck a more optimistic note by saying that while the challenges ahead for the US may be vast, he still believes “we have never ever failed in America when we’ve acted together”.
He said: “We’ve faced an attack on our democracy and on truth, a raging virus, growing inequity, the stain of systemic racism, a climate in crisis.
“Any one of these would be enough to challenge us in profound ways, but the fact is we face them all at once, presenting this nation with one of the greatest responsibilities we’ve had.
“It’s time for boldness, for there is so much to do and this is certain – I promise you we will be judged, you and I, for how we resolve this cascading crises of our era.
“Will we rise to the occasion? Will we meet our obligations and pass along a new and better world to our children? I believe we must, I believe we will and when we do, we will write the next great chapter in the history of the United States of America, the American story.”
Biden’s team announced earlier today that he would enact a swathe of executive orders today that will undo some of Donald Trump’s most controversial policies on immigration, climate change and Covid.
They will include re-joining the Paris climate agreement, re-connecting with the World Health Organisation and immediately ceasing construction of Trump’s border wall with Mexico.
The new President has also laid out plans to pump $2 trillion into the US economy through his “building back better” stimulus package.