LIVE | Trump’s first orders: US to leave Paris accord, pardon for Capitol attackers
In fiery inaugural address, Trump describes January 20 as "liberation day" and declares that "America's decline is over" as changes will come "very quickly"
Donald J Trump on Monday (January 20) took oath for a second term as the United States President, announcing a raft of executive decisions, saying that the "golden age" of America had just begun.
Here is Trump's speech's full text
In a fiery inaugural address, the 47th US president described January 20 as the "liberation day" and declared that "America's decline is over" as changes will come "very quickly".
"America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on earth, inspiring the awe and admiration from the entire world," he said.
'National emergency declared'
The new US president listed a series of actions he would roll out immediately including declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, and that the US would take back the Panama Canal.
Also Read: Donald Trump 2.0: What it means for India & the world
"From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer," Trump said.
The Republican leader vowed to put America "first" and that the country would "flourish and be respected" under his leadership as a "peacemaker and a unifier".
The American dream will soon be back and thriving like never before, he said.
"After years and years of illegal and unconstitutional restriction of expression, I will also sign an executive order to stop all censorship and bring back free speech to America," he said.
Jaishankar attends; Ambanis also spotted
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the inauguration ceremony as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special envoy.
The inauguration ceremony was held indoors under the Capitol Rotunda against the initially planned outdoor venue in view of frigid temperatures in the US capital city. The ceremony was attended by Trump's wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, and billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Tim Cook. Reliance's Mukesh Ambani and his wife were also spotted.
Executive orders Trump may sign
Trump is likely to sign a barrage of executive orders, including those related to immigration, border security, energy and governance, his close aide revealed on Sunday.
Also Read: 10 things Trump said in his inaugural address
Also Read: Trump 2.0: 5 geopolitical shifts to watch out for
Also Read: Why is Trump keen to 'acquire' Greenland? There's a method to the madness
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- 21 Jan 2025 1:22 AM GMT
Trump issues sweeping pardon of supporters charged in Jan 6 Capitol attack
President Donald Trump on Monday said he was pardoning about 1,500 of his supporters who have been charged in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack, using his sweeping clemency powers on his first day back in office to dismantle the largest investigation and prosecution in Justice Department history.
The pardons were expected after Trump's yearslong campaign to rewrite the history of the January 6 attack that left more than 100 police officers injured and threatened the peaceful transfer of power.
Yet, the scope of the clemency still comes as a massive blow to the Justice Department's effort to hold participants accountable over what has been described as one of the darkest days in American history.
Trump said he was also commuting the sentences of six defendants, though the White House did not immediately provide further details.
Trump had suggested in the weeks leading up to his return to the White House that he was going to look at the January 6 defendants on a case-by-case basis.
Vice President JD Vance said just days ago that people responsible for the violence during the Capitol riot "obviously" should not be pardoned.
- 21 Jan 2025 1:21 AM GMT
India-friendly Marco Rubio is Secretary of State, first member of Trump's Cabinet
Marco Rubio, the US Senator from Florida, was on Monday unanimously confirmed as the Secretary of State, making him the first member of the Cabinet of President Donald Trump to be confirmed.
Rubio, 53, as a Senator last year had introduced a bill in the Congress that proposed to treat India on a par with its allies such as Japan, Israel, Korea, and NATO allies regarding technology transfers and support India in its response to growing threats to its territorial integrity.
The bill also sought to bar Pakistan from receiving security assistance if it is found to have sponsored terrorism against India.
A US Senator from Florida since January 3, 2011, Rubio is considered as a hawkish US Senator with regard to China. He is banned from entering China, which sanctioned him twice in 2020.
The top Republican member on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Rubio is the first ever Latino to be the US Secretary of State.
Last July, Rubio had introduced in the US Senate, the first ever India-centric party that proposed to put India at the same level of that of its treaty ally, exempt it from CAATSA sanctions, and imposes sanctions on Pakistan for promoting terrorism in India.
The bill noted that the US-India partnership is vital to countering influences from Communist China. In order to strengthen this partnership, it is essential to enhance our strategic diplomatic, economic, and military relationship with New Delhi, it asserts.
Among other things, the bill proposed a statement of policy that the US will support India in its response to growing threats to its territorial integrity, provide necessary security assistance to India to deter adversaries, and cooperate with India with respect to defence, civil space, technology, medicine, and economic investments.
It proposed exemption for India from CAATSA sanctions for purchases of Russian equipment that are currently used by the Indian military; and set a sense of Congress that expeditious consideration of certifications of letters of offer to sell defence articles, defence services, design and construction services, and major defence equipment to India is consistent with US interests and it is in the interest of peace and stability India to have the capabilities needed to deter threats.
The Rubio bill proposed to treat India as if it were of the same status as US allies such as Japan, Israel, Korea, and NATO allies regarding technology transfers; authorise the Secretary of State to enter into a memorandum of understanding with India to increase military cooperation; expedite excess defence articles to India for two years and grant India the same status as other allies; and expand International Military Education and Training Cooperation with New Delhi.
It also required a report to Congress on Pakistan’s use of offensive force, including through terrorism and proxy groups, against India; and bar Pakistan from receiving security assistance if it is found to have sponsored terrorism against India.
- 20 Jan 2025 6:43 PM GMT
What White House says after Trump's speech
US President Donald Trump has "America First" as his priorities and this includes making America safe again, making the country affordable, achieving energy dominance, draining the swamp and bringing back American values, the White House said on Monday.
Minutes after Trump's inauguration as the 47th president of the United States, the White House said he would take bold action to secure the border and protect American communities. This includes ending Biden's catch-and-release policies, reinstating Remain in Mexico, building the wall, ending asylum for illegal border crossers, cracking down on criminal sanctuaries, and enhancing vetting and screening of aliens.
“Trump’s deportation operation will address the record border crossings of criminal aliens under the prior administration. The President is suspending refugee resettlement, after communities were forced to house large and unsustainable populations of migrants, straining community safety and resources,” it said.
The Armed Forces, including the National Guard, will engage in border security, which is national security, and will be deployed to the border to assist existing law enforcement personnel.
Trump will begin the process of designating cartels, including the dangerous Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations and use the Alien Enemies Act to remove them, the White House said.
The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty as the appropriate punishment for heinous crimes against humanity, including those who kill law enforcement officers and illegal migrants who maim and murder Americans, it said.
According to the White House, the president will unleash American energy by ending Biden’s policies of climate extremism, streamlining permitting, and reviewing for rescission all regulations that impose undue burdens on energy production and use, including mining and processing of non-fuel minerals.
“Trump’s energy actions empower consumer choice in vehicles, showerheads, toilets, washing machines, lightbulbs and dishwashers. Trump will declare an energy emergency and use all necessary resources to build critical infrastructure. Trump’s energy policies will end leasing to massive wind farms that degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American energy consumers,” it said.
The White House said Trump will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.
“All agencies will take emergency measures to reduce the cost of living. Trump will announce the America First Trade Policy. America will no longer be beholden to foreign organizations for our national tax policy, which punishes American businesses,” it said.
Asserting that Trump will usher in a "Golden Age" for America by reforming and improving the government bureaucracy to work for the American people.
“He will freeze bureaucrat hiring except in essential areas to end the onslaught of useless and overpaid DEI activists buried into the federal workforce. He will pause burdensome and radical regulations not yet in effect that Biden announced. Trump is announcing an unprecedented slate of executive orders for rescission,” it said.
Trump is planning for improved accountability of government bureaucrats. The American people deserve the highest-quality service from people who love our country. The President will also return federal workers to work, as only six per cent of employees currently work in person, the White House said.
“Trump is taking swift action to end the weaponization of government against political rivals and ordering all document retention as required by law. President Trump is also ending the unconstitutional censorship by the federal government. No longer will government employees pick and require the erasure of entirely true speech,” it said.
On the president’s direction, the State Department will have an America-First foreign policy, the White House said.
“The President will establish male and female as biological reality and protect women from radical gender ideology. American landmarks will be named to appropriately honour our Nation’s history,” said the White House.
- 20 Jan 2025 5:39 PM GMT
'America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth'
“America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth — inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world,” Trump said. “A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.”
- 20 Jan 2025 5:35 PM GMT
'We will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen'
"We will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen. We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end and perhaps the war we never get into," Trump said.
