Washington DC: Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, with Vice President JD Vance by his side. The new president and vice president are attending three inaugural balls to celebrate the occasion.
Trump, who arrived directly from the Oval Office, signed a flurry of executive actions earlier in the day. Among the most notable was the issuance of nearly 1,600 pardons related to the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. Many of these pardons are expected to be released shortly.
Speaking to US Military members based in South Korea via a video call during a public appearance, Trump asked, “Hello everybody, how are we doing over there? How is Kim Jong Un doing?”
His lighthearted joke was met with laughter from the crowd. Command Sergeant Major Robin Bolmer, appearing on the big screen, welcomed Trump back to his presidency, saying, “We’re ready to receive you, Mr. President.”
Trump is now addressing the Commander-in-Chief Ball, one of three inaugural balls planned for the evening in Washington DC Trump expressed his honor in serving as president for a second term and gave a special mention to the US Space Force, a branch of the military he established during his previous term.
As Trump and Melania entered the ball, the US Marine Band played “Hail to the Chief,” with Trump dressed in black tie. Trump and Vance ended their on-stage appearance by cutting a large cake with a sword.
In his inaugural address earlier in the day, Trump proclaimed, “The golden age of America begins right now,” and promised to be a “peacemaker and a unifier.”