Five takeaways from Trump’s inauguration

Mr Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the US by Chief Justice John Roberts as Mrs Melania Trump holds the Bible. PHOTO: REUTERS

UPDATED Jan 21, 2025, 08:35 AM

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WASHINGTON - Mr Donald Trump’s inauguration had to be moved indoors on Jan 20 due to a particularly frigid wintry spell across much of the United States, causing significant changes to the event after years of tedious planning.

But the weather was not the only unusual aspect of the 47th President’s swearing-in ceremony.

Here are some memorable moments from a historic occasion.

Trump unloads

While Mr Trump refused to attend Mr Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration, the departing president was keen to restore tradition by showing his face.

He may well wish he had not bothered, as Mr Trump tore into his record, denouncing what the new Republican president said had been a “betrayal” of Americans by a “radical and corrupt establishment”.

They were apparently getting along fine during the earlier formalities, with Mr Biden unaware that his successor was about to eviscerate his legacy.