Donald Trump returns to power, sworn in as 47th U.S. president

Donald Trump sworn 47th US president Jan 20, 2025 Trump channel video yt ikurd net — Donald Trump sworn in for a second term as the 47th U.S. President on January 20, 2025.. Photo: AP

WASHINGTON,— Donald Trump was sworn in Monday as the 47th President of the United States, marking a dramatic return to power for the Republican leader.

With the GOP regaining unified control of Washington, Trump pledged to overhaul key national institutions and address what he described as years of decline and betrayal.

In his inaugural address, Trump, 78, vowed to prioritize border security and crack down on illegal immigration, framing himself as a national savior.

“First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border,” he said. “Illegal entry will end immediately, and we will begin returning millions of criminal aliens to their countries.”

The address echoed the tone of his 2017 inauguration, where he warned of “American carnage.” Trump took the oath of office at 12:01 p.m. ET, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts inside the U.S. Capitol. Vice President JD Vance was sworn in moments earlier.

Trump, the first president with a felony conviction, recently faced legal battles including charges of falsifying business records. Despite this, he begins his term with plans to enact sweeping executive orders, White House officials confirmed.

His initial actions will focus on immigration, including deploying armed troops to the southern border, reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers, and ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants—a move legal scholars have questioned.

The inauguration was held indoors due to cold weather, just four years after the Capitol was stormed by a mob attempting to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss to President Joe Biden.

Donald Trump sworn in as the 47th U.S. president, January 20, 2025. Photo: Screengrab/Turmp’s YT channel/iKurd.net

Outgoing President Biden, 82, attended alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, was also present, though former First Lady Michelle Obama did not attend.

In his speech, Trump celebrated his political comeback, referencing assassination attempts and his survival. “God saved me to make America great again,” he said.

Trump also pledged to restore policies like the federal death penalty, rescind diversity and inclusion initiatives in federal agencies, and roll back Biden-era policies on gender identity in official documents. Some measures, including his immigration plans, are expected to face legal challenges.

Biden, in one of his final acts, pardoned figures targeted by Trump, including Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney, and General Mark Milley. Meanwhile, Trump plans to pardon over 1,500 individuals linked to the January 6 Capitol attack.

In a surprising move, Trump will delay new tariffs, instead directing agencies to review trade policies with China, Canada, and Mexico. The decision caused fluctuations in global markets, which were active despite the U.S. holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were greeted at the White House by the outgoing Biden family. “Welcome home,” Biden said during the handover.

Even as Trump takes office, he continues to expand his business ventures, including a controversial cryptocurrency project launched over the weekend, raising ethical questions about conflicts of interest in his administration.

(With files from Reuters)