The inauguration of Joseph R. Biden occurred on January 20, 2021, marking the beginning of his presidency. Alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, President Biden will serve as the 46th President of the United States.

Inaugural Address

The President’s delivery of an Inaugural Address is vital to laying the foundation for a smooth transfer of power onto a new presidency. Although Donald Trump broke tradition by not attending the ceremony, Mike Pence, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama were all present.

President Biden is not typically known for outstanding displays of rhetoric; instead, his speeches are direct and plausible. The tone of his speech adequately reflected President Biden’s personality and character.

Furthermore, President Biden succeeded in realistically addressing the context of America’s current situation. According to The Atlantic, “His speech was coldly realistic about the bleak prospects ahead—from the pandemic, from economic collapse, from the climate crisis, from the assault on democracy and truth.” Throughout his speech, President Biden tackled hard topics such as our nation’s disunity and polarization, the attack on the capitol and our democratic process, systemic racism, and the deadly pandemic. He called for a moment of silence for the 400,000 American lives lost at the hands of the Coronavirus.

In addition to acknowledging the current hardships in our country, President Biden embraced hopeful messages of the future. He shared his belief in the strength of Americans and called for Americans to care for and respect each other as neighbors. Biden states, “Will we master this rare and difficult hour? Will we meet our obligations and pass along a new and better world to our children? I believe we must. I’m sure you do as well. I believe we will. And when we do, we’ll write the next great chapter in the history of the United States of America. The American story.”

How Other Nations are Responding to the Transfer of Power

Not only are presidential first impressions important to the American citizens, but also to our country’s international relationships. According to The Washington Post, many foreign leaders have extended their hands to congratulate the Biden and Harris administration and discuss plans of the future.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated, “America’s leadership is vital on the issues that matter to us all,” and he welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with the new president on shared values such as recovery after the pandemic, climate change, and security. Additionally, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the events in the US by sharing that Canada and the United States “are more than neighbors – we are close friends, partners, and allies.” Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi, also offered his “warmest congratulations.”

After stating that Biden has always been a friend to Ireland, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney specifically congratulated Vice President Harris on “her historic achievement as she is inaugurated as the first woman, and first woman of colour, to hold the office of US Vice President,” according to The Washington Post.

Other officials have used this opportunity to share their final remarks regarding Donald Trump.

Both Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez shared their disapproval of the previous US President.

Zarif stated that under the Trump administration there were “crimes against humanity,” adding that Trump and Pompeo had been “relegated to the dustbin of history in disgrace.” In addition, Sanchez stated at a public event in Madrid, “Five years ago, we thought Trump was a bad joke, but five years later we realized he jeopardized nothing less than the world’s most powerful democracy.”

Even the European Union shared their thoughts regarding the end of the Trump administration. The President, Ursula von der Leyen, stated to the European Parliament, “It will be a message of hope for a world that is waiting for the U.S. to be back in the circle of like-minded states.”

His First Moves as President

 In his first few hours in office, President Biden signed more than a dozen executive orders, according to Politico. As expected, some of these are reversals of policies implemented under the Trump administration, while other executive orders are acknowledging the nation’s urgent needs and Biden’s agenda. Biden has shared that he desires for both parties to work together rather than him strictly pushing a democratic agenda. Other executive orders that he signed address the pandemic, the economy, the environment, systemic racism, and immigration.