Biden Sworn In as 46th US President

Joe Biden took the oath of office at noon Wednesday to become the 46th president of the United States, taking the helm of a deeply divided nation and inheriting a confluence of crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors.

–––––––––

READ MORE: Democrat Joe Biden, a fixture in Washington for nearly a half century, was sworn in Wednesday as the 46th U.S. president in a time-honored ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Biden, at 78, becomes the country’s oldest leader ever after serving 36 years as a U.S. senator and eight as vice president. He took the presidential oath of office, swearing to uphold the U.S. Constitution and defend the country against all enemies, foreign and domestic, on a chilly, wind-swept day.

Shortly before, Kamala Harris, a former U.S. senator from California, the country’s most populous state, was sworn in as vice president, becoming the highest ranking female official in more than two centuries of U.S. history.

She is of Black and Indian heritage.

In his inaugural address, Biden said “The will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded. We’ve learned again that democracy is precious and democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.” “This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. A day in history and hope, of renewal and resolve,” he added. Biden also emphasized that “unity is the path forward.”

The swearing-in ceremonies were witnessed by three former presidents -- Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton – but the country’s outgoing chief executive, former President Donald Trump, ignored 152 years of tradition of presidents attending their successors’ swearing-in ceremonies and left Washington early for his Atlantic coastal mansion in Florida.

–––––––––

LINK: www.voanews.com/2020-usa-votes/americas-day-biden-harris-sworn-lead-new-us-administration-watch-live