Donald Trump was sworn in as president Monday inside the Capitol Rotunda, returning to the nation’s highest office after defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
With his inauguration, Trump becomes both the 45th and 47th president, and the second president to serve non-consecutive terms. Grover Cleveland’s two presidential terms from 1885 to 1889 and 1893 to 1897 were similarly separated by a four-year gap.
Trump is the first convicted felon to become president, following his conviction in May 2024 on 34 counts of falsifying business records in an attempt circumvent New York state election law and keep an alleged marital affair out of public view. At 78 years old, he is also the oldest U.S. president ever elected. (President Biden was newly 78 when he was inaugurated in January 2021.)
Trump’s second term began with an immediate and sweeping array of executive orders that are in line with an agenda that’s both aggressive and controversial. Trump has promised the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants; the end of constitutionally enshrined birthright citizenship; broad tariffs on imports; legal attacks against his political opponents; and the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in government offices—an issue he has also championed in the private sector.
Attendees at the limited-seating, swearing-in ceremony—held indoors because of frigid temperatures in Washington, D.C.—included the three richest individuals in country: Elon Musk, the owner of “X” and one of Trump’s closest advisors; Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon who owns The Washington Post; and Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, which oversees Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Together, they control vast swaths of the media landscape in the U.S.
On his first day in office of his second term, Trump immediately signed a slew of executive orders, many of which followed pledges made while campaigning.
Among the most noteworthy was the announcement of full pardons for approximately 1,500 rioters involved in the Trump-inspired Jan. 6, 2021 attack and election interference effort on the U.S. Capitol, including for those convicted of seditious behavior and assaulting police officers.
The new president declared a national emergency at the southern border with Mexico, which enables the use of Department of Defense resources and military personnel to expand the border wall. He also signed an executive order that seeks to end automatic birthright citizenship—a move that will be challenged in court.
Trump announced that he is pulling the United States from the World Health Organization and again is withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. He took executive action to rename several landmarks, including reverting the name of Alaska’s Denali—the highest peak in North America—to Mount McKinley in honor of pro-tariff former President William McKinley, as well as changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which the White House said would “honor American greatness.”
In a statement, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore thanked “the Biden-Harris Administration for their steadfast partnership in pursuing” Moore’s goal to “deliver for Marylanders; defend our constitutional rights; grow our economy; and restore faith in our public servants, our institutions, and our democracy.” He added that his Annapolis administration intends “to partner with the Trump-Vance Administration when we are aligned on those core principles that will make progress for Marylanders. We pray for God’s grace as our state and nation open this next chapter.”
In his inaugural address, Trump described America’s leadership under the outgoing Biden Administration as incompetent and corrupt, while echoing the dark themes of his first inaugural remarks. He said that the “golden age” for the country “begins right now.”
“We will be the envy of every nation,” Trump added, “and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer.”
In a statement, U.S. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen described Trump’s address as painting a “dystopian picture of America that was full of lies and distortions.” He said Trump’s planned tariffs “will only drive prices higher for working Americans” and that “mass deportations by our military will not solve our problems.”
Noting that the inauguration coincided with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Van Hollen said, “the country would have been much better served by a speech that focused on our common humanity, rather than one aimed at scapegoating and catering to fear and division.”
Trump supporters, many of whom had traveled across multiple states to witness the inauguration, expressed some disappointment that the ceremony had been moved indoors, but understood the necessity because of the harsh weather conditions. Those who could not get into Penn Quarter’s Capital One Arena for Trump’s post swearing-in rally walked around the arena, downtown, and the White House area, picking up merch and generally trying to soak up the atmosphere of celebration.
“I drove here from California,” said Hector Colon, 68, standing and taking photos of the White House from as close as security would allow. “After he lost in 2020 and then won again, I told myself, ‘Okay, I’m not going to miss this one.’”
A retired teacher, Colon said he initially was not a fan of Trump during his first foray into presidential politics. “I didn’t like his braggart style,” he said, adding he came around because of his support for Trump’s tax cuts, “build-the wall” policies, and belief that the “country had gone too far left” on social issues, like transgender rights.
A 65-year-old woman and former small business owner from Washington, D.C., who preferred not to give her name, said she believed the country had gone too far regarding DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) hiring practices, which Trump said he would roll back.
“I want the position to go the most qualified person,” she said. “I don’t think race or gender should come into play.” She also said she didn’t believe in government mandates more broadly, for example, on environmental regulations, such as in the automotive industry. She added that she thought “the government is spending too much money on undocumented immigrants.”
Economic research shows that immigrants, documented and undocumented, have a net positive impact on the federal budget and U.S. economy, contributing more than they receive in services. Nonetheless, the belief that immigrants were contributing to the country’s fiscal deficit and posed a major threat to the future of the U.S. was widespread among Trump supporters in Washington.
“We have too many people living here [that we are supporting] that are illegal,” said Marnie Bowles, 37, who lives in Northern Virginia. “No. 1—stop [funding] all the wars. No. 2. lock down the borders.”
Several hundred inauguration protestors were also on hand Monday, eventually marching to Dupont Circle for an early afternoon rally. Many carried banners and signs in support of women’s, workers, LGBTQ+, Palestinian, and immigrant rights—as well as support for D.C. statehood.
One 18-year-old protestor from Silver Spring of Vietnamese descent said she feared that Trump’s mass deportation policies could again harm her immigrant community. She noted that it was not only Latino immigrant families that were likely to be impacted, but Filipino, Southeast Asian, African, and Caribbean families.
“There are Vietnamese and other groups where families are a blend of documented and undocumented individuals,” she said, preferring her name not be published.
She added, however, that deportation was just one of many issues that she was concerned about now that Trump had returned to office.
“I’m concerned about the anti-transgender stuff. I’m concerned about the LGBT community. I’m concerned about Elon Musk’s role, the economy,” she added. “Not that I think [the Democrats] were going to do a lot about climate change, but he’s a climate change denier. There is a lot that I’m worried about.”