JOE BIDEN BECOMES 46TH PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES

Wed 20 January 2021:

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were officially sworn into office Wednesday in a heavily-guarded but sparsely attended ceremony at the US Capitol.

Security for the ceremony was markedly increased with 25,000 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. to secure the area after former President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempt to thwart a constitutionally-mandated procedure before Biden assumed office.

President Joe Biden, in his first address to the country, called a fresh start in US politics and rejection of “manipulated” truth.

“At this time in this place let’s start afresh. All of us must begin to listen to one another again, to hear one another, see one another, show respect to one another,” Biden said.

“And we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured,” Biden said, drawing applause.

Biden called for the rejection of “political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism”, he said.

“American has to be better than this,” he said.

“This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge,” said Biden, “and unity is the path forward”.

“Now, on this hallowed ground, where just a few days ago violence sought to shake this country’s very foundation,” said Biden.

“We come together as one nation, under God, indivisible and carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries,” he said.

Hundreds of thousands of people usually attend the ceremony every four years, but this year the general public was asked to celebrate at home as the US continues to find itself in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 400,000 lives in the country.

Biden vowed to face the health crisis head-on, saying the “once in a century virus” is “stalking” the US, and has claimed as many American lives as were lost in World War II.

Kamala Harris sworn in as vice president

Kamala Harris, a former senator and attorney general of California, has become the first woman and first person of colour to serve as vice president of the United States

Harris was sworn into office by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Wearing a purple blazer, she hugged her husband and waved to the crowd after taking the oath.

Harris took her oath on a bible once owned by the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first Black member of the US high court. Harris is of Jamaican and Indian descent.

Pope tells Biden he prays for US reconciliation

Pope Francis has told President Joe Biden that he was praying that God would guide his efforts to bring reconciliation in the United States and among the nations of the world.

In a message sent shortly after the second Catholic president in US history was was sworn in, Francis also said he hoped Biden would work towards a society marked by true justice, freedom and respect for the rights and dignity of every person, especially the poor, the vulnerable and those with no voice.

Challenges ahead for President

The president will be confronting the virus’ grim realities as the country has been deeply fractured during the past four years, and even the donning of protective face coverings has become a highly politicized issue.

In urging Americans to unite, Biden noted the rising threats posed by “political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism,” saying they must be confronted and defeated.

“To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul, and secure the future of America requires so much more than words. It requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy: unity,” he said. “We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal.”

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