Jan 20, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Trump vows to restore democracy and freedom to Americans in inaugural address

Ivana Saric

Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States inside the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 20, — Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address on Jan. 20. Photo: Shawn Thew/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump hailed his return to office as the start of a "thrilling new era" that would bolster values such as democracy and freedom.

Why it matters: While Trump's overtures reflected his intent to strike a warmer tone than in 2017 — when his inauguration speech decried "American carnage" — much of the content of his inaugural address retained the dark message of his first address.

Driving the news: "The golden age of America begins right now," Trump said in his address, adding that "America's decline is over."

He then decried various injustices he said plagued the U.S., including the weaponization of the Justice Department, which he called a "corrupt establishment," and a federal government unable to provide "basic services" to Americans experiencing natural disasters.
Trump, who made cracking down on immigration a pillar of his 2024 campaign, claimed the U.S. provided sanctuary to "dangerous criminals" while getting involved in a "catalog of catastrophic events abroad."

The big picture: "My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal, and all of these many betrayals that have taken place and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and indeed their freedom."

Trump's words echoed the message pushed by Democrats during the 2024 campaign, wherein former Vice President Kamala Harris made "freedom" and Trump's threat to democracy central parts of her message.

Go deeper: TRUMP'S SECOND TERM OFFICIALLY BEGINS

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Trump vows to restore democracy and freedom to Americans in inaugural address

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