For half an hour of MAGA ecstasy and Democrat misery, the Trump rhetoric soared to the very top of the Capitol’s 180-ft rotunda.
‘The golden age of America begins right now,’ he told an audience that never missed a moment to leap to its feet and applaud wildly. ‘From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world.’
The man who insisted that, after escaping an assassin’s bullet last year, he was ‘saved by God to make America great again’ painted a picture of the US that would surely bring a tear to any patriot’s eye.
The American Dream was ‘back and thriving like never before’, Trump declared, as ‘history’s greatest civilization’ rediscovered said greatness as ‘a mighty republic of the most extraordinary citizens on Earth’ whose ‘power will stop all wars… our golden age has just begun.’
Perhaps not quite yet. For Trump had barely sat down when it became clear the Capitol’s sound system had broken, leaving singer Carrie Underwood to save the day and sing ‘America The Beautiful’ a cappella.
It was another minor setback for a president who’d earlier tried gamely to land a kiss on the face of a First Lady whose wide-brimmed hat repelled his advances.
He can’t have it all his own way.
Whether he’s been protected by divine intervention or not, Donald Trump has pulled off the most astonishing political comeback and today was the moment for him to sit back and revel in it.
Trump had barely sat down when it became clear the Capitol’s sound system had broken, leaving singer Carrie Underwood to save the day and sing ‘America The Beautiful’ a cappella.
It was another minor setback for a president who’d earlier tried gamely to land a kiss on the face of a new First Lady whose wide-brimmed hat accidentally repelled his advance.
Few who were at the Capitol – myself included – to witness his first inauguration in 2017 could have imagined we’d ever see another Trump swearing-in.
After all, we knew that even he had been surprised by his shock victory over Hillary Clinton and nearly all the pundits regarded the Trump phenomenon as a mere aberration. Normal service would be resumed as soon as possible.
Instead it’s Trumpism that has resumed, and today’s second inauguration was brimming with the confidence and conviction that the first one lacked eight years ago.
At least America has been spared another row over whose inauguration crowd is bigger. The intense cold put paid to any repetition of Trump’s dogged 2017 claims challenging the notion that Barack Obama had attracted more people to Washington’s National Mall for his 2009 swearing-in ceremony.
With the inauguration moved inside the Capitol – and other celebrations inside the city’s Capital One arena – Trump had a ready excuse for not breaking any records this time.
Nonetheless, Trump clearly puts great store by crowd size and he admitted at one point on Monday that he really hadn’t wanted the inauguration moved indoors.
Though at least he could console himself that the weather also kept away trouble-seeking Democrats, too.
Washington officials had earlier reported that applications for protest permits had been slow and although a few thousand turned out for a ‘People’s March’ on Saturday and another anti-Trump protest on Monday, there was no repetition of the sprawling Women’s March on Washington the day after his 2017 swearing-in that attracted some 500,000 women wearing their memorable pink ‘pussyhats’.
Trump could certainly say that he went for quality rather than quantity this time.
A president who clearly likes to surround himself with attractive, wealthy people was blessed with the attendance not only of the perma-tanned MAGA elite of Palm Beach and Miami, but the tech kings of Silicon Valley. Some of the world’s richest men – including Elon Musk, Amazon-founder Jeff Bezos, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and Apple’s Tim Cook – were given many of the best seats in the Capitol Rotunda and returned the favor by joining in the endless standing ovations.
It was an astonishing turn-around for a group of billionaires who only a few years ago were ardent Democrats whose industry regarded The Donald with horror.
And one shouldn’t forget the techies’ consorts. Lauren Sanchez, helicopter-flying fiancée of Jeff Bezos, managed to put all the usual discussions of the Trump women’s outfits into the shade with hers.
The busty 55-year-old whose wardrobe never seems anything but figure-hugging wore a white Alexander McQueen pantsuit over a risqué white lace bustier. Social media erupted with complaints that her ‘bra’ was entirely inappropriate for a state occasion.
‘Good grief, Lauren Sanchez. Put them away for one day,’ said one commenter. Others joked that she was dressed by Victoria’s Secret.
Mark Zuckerberg, sitting next to her in the rotunda, at times seemed like he didn’t know where to look.
For others, Sanchez’s outfit only served to highlight the stylishness of Melania Trump, the ex-model wearing a far more restrained Adam Lippes tailored navy silk wool coat – and of course that wide-brimmed hat, which served the additional function of hiding her expressions.
Lauren Sanchez, helicopter-flying fiancée of Jeff Bezos, certainly managed to put all the usual discussions of the Trump women’s outfits into the shade with hers. Social media erupted with complaints that her ‘bra’ was entirely inappropriate for a state occasion.
Mark Zuckerberg, sitting next to her in the rotunda, at times seemed like he didn’t know where to look.
Ivanka Trump, meanwhile, was also a victim of social-media mockery as some commenters drew an unkind similarity between her forest-green Dior skirt suit with the outfits worn by the wives of the oppressive leaders in the dystopian TV series The Handmaid’s Tale.
The president’s eldest daughter, 43, had already drawn anger – this time chiefly directed at fashion designer Oscar de la Renta – after she wore several of de la Renta’s outfits during the weekend’s pre-inauguration festivities.
Furious Trump opponents ludicrously called for a ‘boycott’ of the designer’s clothes. (Usha Vance, the wife of the new vice president, wore a pale pink de la Renta outfit for the inauguration ceremony).
One woman, however, was noticeable not for her appearance but her non-appearance at the inauguration. Michelle Obama broke with the usual tradition of ex-presidents and their spouses attending each swearing-in ceremony, leaving Barack to walk into the Capitol on his own.
Although Michelle has given no explanation for her absence, sources close to the former First Lady stress she has stepped away from public life and certainly doesn’t want to return to it in order to honor Trump.
‘There’s no overstating her feelings about him,’ a source close to Michelle told People magazine.
Ivanka Trump was also a victim of social-media mockery as some commenters drew an unkind similarity between her forest-green Dior skirt suit with the outfits worn by the wives of the oppressive leaders in the dystopian TV series The Handmaid’s Tale.
Trump certainly won’t miss her and nor will his supporters who, watching live footage down at the Capital One Arena, booed loudly when they saw Barack arrive at the Capitol.
For Trump, who later appeared at the arena to sign some of 100 executive orders within hours of taking office, the day provided ample opportunities to do what he enjoys most: talk.
He effectively delivered two inauguration addresses – one from a teleprompter in the rotunda and another unscripted, more rambling one later at the Capitol’s visitor centre in which he railed against his enemies, complained about Biden’s last-minute pardons and referred to the MAGA supporters jailed for their part in the January 6 2021 attack on the Capitol as ‘hostages’.
Some of those ‘hostages’, ironically, were back in DC last night – only this time to celebrate rather than to agitate.
