Trump era begins, sworn in as 47th President of the United States of America

Takes charge as Republicans claim unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country’s institutions

Washington: Donald J Trump was on Monday sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, marking his remarkable return to power for a second term four years after he left the American capital as a pariah.

The 78-year-old Republican leader storms back to the White House with a strongman persona and a vision of an all-powerful presidency with a promise to aggressively reset US policies in a range of domains, including immigration, tariffs and energy.

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Trump registered a spectacular victory over his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the November 5 presidential election, defying two assassination attempts, two presidential impeachments and his criminal conviction.

Four years back, Trump had left Washington as a pariah in the face of his unsuccessful attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election to stay in office. His victory in the bitterly fought election was widely acknowledged as the most momentous comeback in American political history.

JD Vance was sworn in as the Vice President ahead of Trump. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the inauguration ceremony as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoy.

The inauguration ceremony was held indoors under the Capitol Rotunda against the initially planned outdoor venue in view of frigid temperatures in the US capital city. The ceremony was attended by Trump’s wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, and billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Tim Cook.

On the first day in office, Trump is expected to sign a slew of executive orders, including kicking off a process to end birthright citizenship.