As of January 20th, 2025, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. Alongside him is JD Vance, serving as his Vice President. Many events have made Trump’s second inaugural ceremony unlike the past. With numerous mentions of what he refers to as a “corrupt government” caused by his former competitor, as well as the timer set on banning TikTok, this year’s ceremony has many layers. For the first time in decades, President-elect Trump was not sworn in on the steps of the Capitol. Due to incoming cold weather, the ceremony was moved to the Capitol Rotunda. This caused an uprising due to the fact people had prepaid tickets to attend the ceremony and were denied entry. Another commonly spoken about event includes the observed moment where Trump did not place his hand on the Bible while being sworn in. Though this event may have been seen as some big catastrophe, President Trump was instructed to raise his hand prior to having the bible in front of him, and he did place his hand on the bible at his first inauguration back in 2017. Knowing this, and the fact that God has been prominently included in his campaign, it is likely this event was a timing issue rather than a political statement. 

After being inaugurated, President Trump did not waste any time. Upon his opening days of presidency, he not only repealed over 70 of former President Joe Biden’s policies, but he also withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization. In doing this, he has made a statement that he is taking action rather than just making empty promises. The reason behind his possibly impulsive actions may be the pressure following his promise of the “golden age” of America. During his speech, Trump made promises that the U.S. would be respected, safely restored, “scales of justice rebalanced,” and would be envied by nations around the world. He also made the decision to pardon almost 1,600 people previously charged on account of attacking the capital on the 6th of January 2021. This pressure along with that of the consistent wavering concept of the TikTok ban poses the question of Trump’s motives behind his actions. Are these decisions purely to help America or to prove himself to his former opponent? Maybe he is making these promises because of the faltering opinions many people of his nation have of him due to his consistent influx of criminal allegations during his campaign. Truth being, only time will tell the truth and intent behind his words and injunctions.