President of the United States of America, Joe Biden
Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.
Mr Biden was sworn in this evening by US Chief Supreme Court Justice, John Roberts.
The swearing-in was held in the Capitol, Washington DC amid tight security.
About 25,000 security personnel were deployed in Washington DC and other US States to prevent further attacks following the Wednesday, January 6, 2021 attacks in the Capitol which left 5 persons dead.
Conspicuously missing at the swearing-in ceremony was former President Donald Trump.
Former Vice President, Mike Pence, former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, all attended the historic ceremony.
However, former President Jimmy Carter was absent at the ceremony on possible health ground.
Mr Trump becomes the first US since 1869 (150 yeas ago) to miss the swearing of his successor.
Mr Biden, a former Vice President to Mr Obama, defeated Mr Trump in the November 3, 2020 US Presidential Election.
The Republican Leader, Mr Trump rejected the election results, saying he won but the election was stolen from him.
After weeks of refusing to concede defeat, Mr Trump finally agreed to give up power.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden in his inauguration speech thanked his predecessors from both the Republican Party and Democrats.
According to Mr Biden, “I thank my predecessors of both parties for their presence here today. I thank them from the bottom of my heart… And I know the resilience of our Constitution and the strength, the strength of our nation, as does President Carter, who I spoke with last night, who cannot be with us today, but whom we salute for his lifetime in service.”
“I have just taken a sacred oath each of those patriots taken. The oath first sworn by Washington. But the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us. On we, the people, who seek a more perfect union. This is a great nation. We are good people,” he added.
Mr Biden noted that “the will of the people have been heard,” in apparent reference to Mr Trump’s initial refusal to concede defeat.
By Melvin Tarlue