On the 20th (local time), Donald Trump officially took office as the 47th President of the United States, while former President Joe Biden celebrated the inauguration of his successor, honoring the tradition of the United States.
Former President Biden left Washington after watching President Trump's swearing-in and inaugural address at the federal Capitol and receiving farewell from the incoming president. He broke the 'dark history' of Trump's absence from his inauguration four years ago, continuing the tradition of former presidents congratulating the new president's inauguration.
In U.S. history, there have been only two instances when an outgoing president did not attend the inauguration of their successor. The first was in 1869 when former President Andrew Johnson did not attend the inauguration of former President Ulysses Grant, who had participated in his impeachment. The second instance was 152 years later in 2021 when President Trump did not attend.
On that day at 9:54 a.m., former President Biden stepped out with his wife, Jill, to greet President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who visited after attending a service at nearby St. John's Episcopal Church. Former President Biden welcomed the Trumps by saying, 'Welcome home.'
The Bidens shared tea with the Trumps for over 40 minutes. Former President Biden then traveled in the same limousine as President Trump to the Capitol, where the inauguration ceremony was held. This also followed the tradition established in 1837, when outgoing and incoming presidents rode together to the Capitol.
President Trump openly criticized former President Biden, who congratulated him on his inauguration, during his speech. At the inauguration, President Trump said, 'For years, the extreme and corrupt establishment has stripped power and wealth from our people, and the pillars of our society seem to be collapsing and completely devastated.'
He continued, 'Our government cannot even manage a simple crisis domestically while simultaneously staggering under a series of disastrous events overseas,' adding, 'The government has failed to protect our great and law-abiding citizens but has provided sanctuary and protection to dangerous criminals.' This was a sharp criticism of the Biden administration's border policy.
Amid President Trump's comments seemingly targeting the Biden administration, the expressions of former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost in the last election and were sitting just behind him listening to the speech, appeared to harden.
At the inauguration of the U.S. president, it is customary for former presidents and former vice presidents to attend. On that day, former President George W. Bush and his wife represented the Republican Party, while former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, who was the competitor of President Trump in the 2016 election, and former President Barack Obama attended for the Democratic Party. Michelle Obama, the wife of former President Obama, did not appear.