Axios

President Trump in his inaugural address on Monday portrayed the classic communications adage that it's not what you say but how you say it.

Why it matters: The speech gives insight into what to expect from Trump 2.0, and while his tone was warmer than in 2017, many of the underlying policy priorities remain the same.

Vivek Ramaswamy will leave the Trump administration's new Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, to run for Ohio governor multiple outlets reported on Monday.

Why it matters: Ramaswamy's departure leaves Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has been increasingly asserting authority within the GOP, at the helm of the project.

Think of the U.S. government as a once-dominant, lean, high-flying company that grew too big, too bloated, too bureaucratic, too unimaginative.

• It's Kodak or Circuit City — a dominant player caught napping amid an obvious technological transformation.

The newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, will operate within the U.S. government, according to a fact sheet connected with an executive order expected Monday to establish the new entity, Semafor reported.

Why it matters: It was not known at this point how the new department, co-led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, would be structured to pursue its mission of cutting government spending.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday said that private companies can make their own decisions about whether to sell or merge, reversing its previous statement that it opposes any effort by ByteDance to sell TikTok U.S. to a foreign owner.

Why it matters: While a few interested buyers have emerged, China's unwillingness to let ByteDance sell TikTok's U.S. arm has tied the company's hands in the face of a U.S. law that required such a sale to avoid a ban.

Social media platforms are scrambling to introduce new features and ad campaigns that could lure users and creators concerned about TikTok's uncertain future.

Why it matters: TikTok introduced a slew of new features over the past few years that made short-form video easier to consume and produce. Tech firms have tried to mimic some, but sprinted to integrate more as the TikTok ban went into effect.

What's the best way to operate a multibillion-dollar technology company in a country where one man holds substantially all political power? One answer can be found with ByteDance, which has been operating under exactly that kind of regime for its entire existence.

Why it matters: ByteDance's American subsidiary, TikTok US, has been transparent in its attempts to give Donald Trump — and not his predecessor — the biggest political win possible.

Donald Trump's second presidency is already off to a blazing start — partly from how aggressively he's seized power, but also because his rival, President Biden, has given Trump a head start on realizing some of his big campaign promises.

Why it matters: The most consequential pre-presidency in recent U.S. history has left Trump uniquely positioned to quickly impose his plans to boost executive power, reshape foreign policy, deport millions of undocumented immigrants and juice the economy.

China's Vice President Han Zheng and Elon Musk met on Sunday ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration, per Chinese state media.

Why it matters: Chinese leader Xi Jinping deployed his top envoy to attend Trump's inauguration on Monday in an unprecedented move following Trump's threats to impose major tariffs on China.