22:33 20 January 2021
Joe Biden sworn in as 46th President of US
Under unprecedented Democrat security measures, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States in front of the Capitol on Wednesday. The 78-year-old is the successor to Republican Donald Trump. In his inaugural speech, he called for national unity and spoke of "the triumph of the idea of democracy".
After taking the oath, Biden said that "today we are celebrating the triumph not of the candidate but of the idea of democracy."
"The people's will has been heard; we know democracy is precious and fragile, and it has won now; this is America's Day, Democracy Day," he addressed guests including Congressmen, ex-presidents, and ex-vice president Mike Pence.
In the opinion of the new president, "America has been tested again and has stood up to the occasion.
The Democrat called for national unity and the settlement of heated political disputes, assuring him that he would devote "his whole soul" to it. "We have a lot to do, much to fix, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain. We need unity," he said.
"In unity, we can do great, important things. We can give people jobs, we can send children to safe schools, we can ensure racial justice. America can be a force for good in the world," he said.
(PAP)
