Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, declaring that “democracy has prevailed” as he took the helm of a deeply divided nation and inherited a confluence of crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors.
Biden’s inauguration came at a time of national tumult and uncertainty, a ceremony of resilience as the hallowed American democratic rite unfurled at a U.S. Capitol battered by an insurrectionist siege just two weeks ago. The chilly Washington morning was dotted with snow flurries, but the sun emerged just before Biden took the oath of office, the quadrennial ceremony persevering even though it was encircled by security forces evocative of a war zone and devoid of crowds because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded. We’ve learned again that democracy is precious and democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed,” Biden said. “This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. A day in history and hope, of renewal and resolve.”
And then he pivoted to challenges ahead, acknowledging the surging virus that has claimed more than 400,000 lives in the United States. Biden looked out over a capital city dotted with empty storefronts that attest to the pandemic’s deep economic toll and where summer protests laid bare the nation’s renewed reckoning on racial injustice.
“We have much to do in this winter of peril, and significant possibilities: much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build and much to gain,” Biden said. “Few people in our nation’s history have more challenged, or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we’re in now.”
His predecessor’s absence underscored the healing that is needed.
Flouting tradition, Donald Trump departed Washington on Wednesday morning ahead of the inauguration rather than accompany his successor to the Capitol. Though three other former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — gathered to watch the ceremonial transfer of power, Trump, awaiting his second impeachment trial, instead flew to Florida after stoking grievance among his supporters with the lie that Biden’s win was illegitimate.
Biden, in his third run for the presidency, staked his candidacy less on any distinctive political ideology than on galvanizing a broad coalition of voters around the notion that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy. Biden did not mention Trump by name in the early moments of his inaugural address but alluded to the rifts his predecessor had helped create.
“I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all are created equal and the harsh, ugly reality of racism, nativism, fear, demonization that have long torn us apart,” Biden said. “This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward and we must meet this moment as the United States of America.”
“Here we stand, just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people,” Biden said. “To stop the work of our democracy. To drive us from this sacred ground. It did not happen. It will never happen. Not today, not tomorrow. Not ever. Not ever.”
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21 Responses
I have a longstanding policy to never patronize burglaries nor any crimes for that matter, so as a decent honest fellow, I shall most definitely not be watching this stolen event.
Needless to say, I certainly listened to President Donald Trump’s amazing speech yesterday, and look forward to watching President Donald Trump inauguration on 1/20/2025 come Noon.
Trump’s “amazing” apeech (aka an 8 minute pre-recorded video full of the usual self-adulation and naricissitc XXX) will go down as one of the least relevant rants in American political history). You can look forward to 2025, if he is even still around by then) but most of the rest of Americans will have moved on from this most tragic and ugly period. I wish you well and hope you use the next 4 years for serious reflection but sadly cannot say the same for him.
A truly inspiring speech! Let’s see how the beautiful talk of unity will play out…
This reminds of Iran 1979.
They kicked out The Shah a great friend of the Jews and replaced him with Khomeni and the Islamic Republic.
This is the end of American Jewry as we know it.
May Hashem bless President Donald Trump.
@eric55
On December 5th you said Biden has zero chance of becoming president, and you’re willing to bet your house on it.
I sure hope you didn’t actually make that bet.
@Thetruthis
Pretty sure the Komarna Mekubel you quoted in November, R Yisroel Yitzchak Saprin, said this will never happen?
Gadolhadorah
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF! THERE ARE MANY MANY YIDEN WHO DISAGREE WITH YOU.
@Quayboardwarrior: You don’t chap; why do you think Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath a few minutes BEFORE 12:00 pm? The oath was never chal, Donald John Trump remains president. This will be coming out on all the news stations in just a few minutes. The chief justice’s treasonus betrayal may have just saved our country.
JUST KIDDING! Let’s grow up…
Hatzlacha rabba to Joseph R. Biden; we root for you as the new president of the United States.
To our beloved former president, Donald John Trump: We look to you for leadership in these trying times; we cannot wait to vote for you (or the nominee you endorse) in four short years. We love you! Hang in there!
Former Vice President Pence: Keep inspiring America and the world! We can’t wait to vote for #Pence_Haley when the time comes!
*treasonous
By the way, any constitutional scholars know if there’s any scholarly debate about the oath’s timing? Just curious…
The guy is really talk about both sides of his mouth.
Plenty of obvious hints to who he doesn’t and we shouldn’t like. Even so, the media is going to tell us that he is a great uniter who called for unity.
I guess one more thing Trump can add to his resume is most petty outgoing President ever. Even now he can’t have the decency to show up at the inauguration. Trump will always try to be divisive and the best way to move past him would be to ensure he can’t hold office again, via convicting him in his upcoming Senate trial.
“…the Komarna Mekubel you quoted in November, R Yisroel Yitzchak Saprin, said this will never happen”
I’ve always been skeptical of the mekubalim who claim to have nevius and advertise their services for a modest fee. I’ve never herd of this guy but obviously TheTruths might have done better by relying upon some of the astute political mekubalim here on YWN who were always confident in Sleepy Joe’s fortunes. As to Eric55, we can always set up a Gofundme page for homeless people
UNITY???????
By silencing any opposing opinion.
Sure. Do as I say and we will all be unified. It helps when you suppress free speech and you delegitimization everyone who don’t agree with you.
ENS, you forgot the comma in your name. Your name is Emes Nisht, Sheker. Why would Trump come to Biden inauguration if he stole the election? Make no mistake, this inauguration is NOTHING OF UNITY AND BEING AMERICAN, it is a celebration of the ushering in of a president of Horrific pessimism, lies and absolutely nothing good for yidden and Israel. He and his campaign is one scary gang that want to undo all the great things President Trump has accomplished. One by one.
Having said that,
I offer all my blessings to the new president if he follows in a righteous and honest way. May Hashem bless all people of America with peace, and spare Jews and all minorities from racism, hate and divisiveness. Gd bless this beautiful Land of the Free
The Torah codes fellow got it really wrong. My faith has been shaken to the core.
i will take a pass, this is a shame…
with little Biden crook up there…
lol, when no one can speak out against him and his cronies we will really look like a dumb country were everyone has the exact same opinion. that’s definitely a unified picture…. for an entire country to have matching brains!
The unity of the proposed “domestic terrorism” laws. And John Brennan just interviewed included such groups as the Libertarian party as domestic terrorists.