On Monday, Jan. 20, President Donald Trump began his second term as president and was sworn into office as the 47th President of the United States. Vice President JD Vance was also sworn in moments before Trump, and Trump began his second term by giving an inaugural address.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama were present at the inauguration, as well as former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and former First Lady Laura Bush. Former First Lady Michelle Obama did not attend the Inauguration.
This year’s Inauguration took place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which was addressed by Trump in his speech.
“Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and his honor, this will be a great honor, but in his honor we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true,” Trump said.
The cold weather caused some of the inauguration’s events to be moved inside, and the parade location moved from Pennsylvania Avenue to Capital One Arena.
Dr. Gary Rose, Scholar in Residence and professor of political science & global affairs at Sacred Heart University, said that Trump’s inaugural address will “go down in history as one of the most energized and forceful displays of presidential leadership that has ever been evident in the history of presidential inaugurations.”
“Trump’s address was very nationalistic and far more focused on American ideals and American interests compared to most inauguration speeches of the past,” said Rose.
“America the Beautiful” was performed by Carrie Underwood following Trump’s address.
As part of the inauguration, former President Joe Biden delivered a farewell address to his staff after leaving office.
“We’re leaving office, but we’re not leaving the fight,” said Biden. “I’ve been doing this for 50 years, you’re the best group of people. It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your President.”
Sophomore Ryan Greene attended the inauguration and said that seeing the event was something he’s always been interested in.
“I was excited about the opportunity, as I wanted to witness history,” said Greene. “My family is involved in local politics, so it was a great experience to share with my mother.”
According to Greene, there were very sizable crowds in Washington D.C. on Jan. 20. Greene was also able to meet people from different states at the inauguration.
“There was no tension at the inauguration; everyone was peaceful, cheerful, polite, and respectful. There were some protesters, but they were all peaceful from what I witnessed,” said Greene.
Junior Tom Remmen, a political science major, said studying politics at SHU and class discussions have helped spark his interest in politics, causing him to closely follow the election storylines this year.
“We tracked a lot of it in my class with [Rose] in the fall. I took an American Presidency class,” said Remmen. “I tried to follow the previous election as much as possible.”
Remmen watched and followed a lot of the speeches and executive orders that were being signed on Inauguration Day.
“Biden’s presidency started before I had the same level of interest in politics, so this is the first time I’m really fully involved in it all. I’d like to stay as educated as possible,” said Remmen.
According to Rose, the start of Trump’s second term will feature lots of news and action, especially with tariffs, trade relations with foreign countries, and potential U.S. control over the Panama Canal and Greenland.
“There will be very swift action by President Trump related to border security which should be especially intriguing, especially if he decides to use federal troops as he promised he would in his inaugural address,” said Rose. “There will be a whirlwind of activity unlike anything we have ever seen.”
These thoughts were confirmed when President Trump signed over 30 executive orders on his first day in office, followed by more throughout his first week.
Some of the most prominent so far are seeking to end the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship regardless of the parents’ immigration status, which a federal judge temporarily blocked on Jan. 23, and stopping diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government.

Source: AP News, Kevin Lamarque
Trump also rescinded 78 orders and actions signed by former President Biden on his first day in office.
According to the Associated Press, “The orders do not require congressional approval and can’t be directly overturned by lawmakers. Still, Congress could block an order from being fulfilled by removing funding or creating other hurdles.”
The Associated Press and Madison Beekman contributed to this article.