Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.
He succeeds Donald Trump, who lost his re-election bid on November 3 last year. Trump left for his resort in Florida before the swearing in, for the first time in more than 150 years, an incumbent president did not attend his successor's inauguration.
From then till Biden's inauguration, a tumultuous transition period ensued, with Trump alleging that the election outcome was rigged, and spending the initial period post the election challenging the outcome at various courts across the US. He gained little success.
However, on January 6, his supporters stormed the US Capitol - the seat of the US Congress, when he reportedly egged on his supporters towards such a move in a rally against the certification of the formal results by a joint session of US Congress. This means he will be the first US President in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. His trial is pending in the Senate.
In his farewell address, Trump, while being boisterous describing the actions taken by his own administration over the last four years, was conciliatory when referring to the incoming Biden administration.
This week, we inaugurate a new administration, and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We extend our best wishes, and we also want them to have luck, a very important word.
Watch it here.
Biden's plan of action
Upon assuming office, Biden is expected to immediately take the executive order route to meet near term objectives.
According to incoming Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Biden is expected to sign 15 executive orders after taking office, and will start taking action to arrest the fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate climate change. Highlighted changes include establishing a permanent pandemic office in the White House, scrapping the controversial Canada-US Keystone XL pipeline and starting efforts to rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate change, which Trump withdrew from in November 2019 and which took effect in November last year.
Biden has also outlined a $1.9 trillion package to stimulate the economy that has been hit by the pandemic, which should be aided by the Democrats now having a majority in House of Representatives, and a majority in the Senate too by means of Vice President Kamala Harris' casting vote.