Donald J. Trump took oath as the 45th President of the U.S. before lakhs of his supporters here on Friday.
As the clock struck noon on an extremely cold and rainy day, Mr. Trump took the reins of the world’s biggest military power, succeeding Barack Obama.
“From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land, from this day forward it’s going to be only ‘America first! America first!’” he said, to cheers that reverberated through the National Mall.
The new President said he was “issuing a new decree to be heard in every foreign capital” that every decision on trade, immigration and foreign policy would be judged only against his principle of America first.
A document uploaded on the White House website moments later said, “peace through strength will be at the centre” of the new President’s foreign policy. “The world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies,” the document said. Mr. Trump will rebuild the American military capacity, the document added.
Campaign themes
The inaugural address that Mr. Trump drafted himself echoed the themes of the campaign that catapulted him to office, touching upon “national pride” and denouncing “all talk, no action politicians” who, he said, ruined the country. “We are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another — but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People,” Mr. Trump said.
