On Jan. 20 (local time), Donald Trump, who was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, declared in his inaugural speech, "I will make America the greatest, the strongest, and the most respected nation on Earth."
U.S. media and foreign correspondents offered varying assessments of President Trump's inaugural address according to their tendencies. First, the conservative Fox News reported the key points of Trump's address, noting that Trump expressed an optimistic outlook that "a wave of change is sweeping the nation" as he promised a "new era of national success."
Fox News highlighted Trump's key speech content, stating, "Our country has suffered great pain in recent years, but we will turn it around and make it greater than ever before," and added that "we will be a nation filled with compassion, courage, and excellence like no other country."
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also reported that "Trump declared a new 'golden age' for America," noting that "the new president promised to push forward with priorities related to borders, energy, and government reform while declaring a sweeping policy change."
Some media outlets viewed Trump's key remarks from a somewhat critical perspective. They particularly pointed out that Trump, unlike his predecessors who emphasized unity, criticized former President Joe Biden and Democratic figures in front of them at the inauguration.
CNN pointed out that "the display of power (by President Trump) at his inauguration is based on Trump's 'strongman' persona and his view of omnipotent presidential authority," noting that "this suggests that his second term could cause strong disruption both domestically and internationally."
The New York Times (NYT) reported, "President Trump portrayed a bleak image of a crumbling nation that only he could save in his inaugural speech," and highlighted that "he largely omitted the noble themes or unifying expressions preferred by most presidents, instead outlining a series of policies that often lead to division."
The Washington Post (WP) reported on assessments of the inaugural speech by political columnists, one of whom, E.J. Dionne Jr., stated, "This speech reaffirmed everything necessary to reveal the fears of those concerned about Trump's presidency."