Triumphant Trump Vows Show of Strength on Return to White House

As he did in 2017, Trump enters office as a disruptive force, vowing to reshape the government and questioning US-led post-WWII alliances

- Reuters

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump was sworn in as US president on Monday, ushering in another turbulent four-year term with promises to push the limits of executive power, deport millions of immigrants, secure retribution against his political enemies and transform the role of the US on the world stage.

Trump's inauguration completes a triumphant comeback for a political disruptor who survived two impeachment trials, a felony conviction, two assassination attempts and an indictment for attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss.

The ceremony took place at noon (10:30pm IST) inside the Rotunda of the US Capitol, four years after a mob of Trump supporters breached the symbol of American democracy in an unsuccessful effort to forestall the Republican Trump's 2020 defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The swearing-in was moved indoors for the first time in 40 years due to the extreme cold.

Trump, the first US president since the 19th century to win a second term after losing the White House, has said he will pardon "on Day One" many of the more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack. Biden, in one of his last acts, pardoned lawmakers and congressional staff who investigated the riot, along with police officers who testified.