Trump sworn in as 47th US president

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol at noon yesterday local time, beginning his second term as he returns to the White House after four years.

Donald Trump delivers a speech at his inauguration ceremony in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol yesterday. Photos from Xinhua unless otherwise stated

Due to projected cold weather in Washington, D.C., his inauguration ceremony was held indoors — the first time in four decades.

Trump took his oath of office administered by Chief Justice John Roberts. Chief Justice usually administers the presidential oath of office, a tradition that has been followed since the first inauguration.

Donald Trump takes his oath of office administered by Chief Justice John Roberts during the inauguration ceremony. 

Trump said in his inauguration speech that American decline ends and "the golden Age of America begins right now."

In his speech, Trump promised to sign "a series of historic executive orders," including declaring a national emergency at the southern border, enhancing oil and gas production, revoking electric vehicle mandate. He also promised to immediately begin the overhaul of the trade system and "tariff and tax foreign countries."

Trump pledged to bring down prices, save auto industry, "restore fair, equal and impartial justice," and bring law and order back to U.S. cities.

Criticizing Democrats' DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programs, the newly sworn-in president said this week that he will also end the government policy of "trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life," and "forge a society that is colorblind and merit based."

He noted that it will be the "official policy" of the United States government that there are only two genders — male and female.

Spectators watch the broadcast of the inauguration of the 47th U.S. president at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. yesterday. 

Trump also pledged to build the strongest military the world has ever seen. "We will measure our success, not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into," Trump said, adding that he will be a peacemaker and unifier.

The president reiterated that he will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and will take back the Panama Canal.

In addition, Trump said that he will, for the second time, pull the United States out of the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change.

Moments before Trump's swearing-in, JD Vance was sworn in as the vice president. 

Trump’s executive orders & actions following his swearing-in:

• Border actions: Border processing appointments cancled, customs app shut down

Minutes after President Donald Trump took office yesterday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced it has canceled all scheduled appointments for immigration and border processing.

The CBP announced on social media that it would shut down the CBP One mobile app that allowed migrants to submit information and book appointments at eight U.S.-Mexico border ports after 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.

Under the Joe Biden administration, the mobile app was key for migrants gathering at the U.S. border to seek refuge in the United States via legal pathways. It's not clear if or when the app will return or new ways to process border entries will be introduced.

Trump is due to sign multiple executive orders related to the border soon, according to media reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, U.S., yesterday. China Daily

The CBP logged about 47,300 encounters with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in December 2024, slightly more than December 2016 before Trump's first inauguration but well below monthly peaks above 200,000 during 2021-2023, said an Axios report.

Migration has shrunk significantly in the past six months at the U.S. border, CBP data showed. 

Policy reversals:

• Revoked nearly 80 of Biden’s executive actions within hours；

• Pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord for the second time；

• Began the process of withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization for the second time;

• Signed an executive order to keep TikTok operating for 75 days;

• Freezed federal hiring except for military positions. (Xinhua)