e, the citizens of America, are
now joined in a great national effort," Trump said. "We are
transferring power from Washington D.C., and giving it back to you, the
people." Trump used his 16-minute remarks to promise an era of populist
change, even as he was surrounded by members of Congress and all eight sitting
members of the Supreme Court. "For
too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of
government while the people have borne the cost," Trump said.
"Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. The
establishment protected itself."
He criticized an educational
system "flush with cash" that fails to fulfill its mission to
students. He lamented factories left to rust while jobs flowed overseas. And he
decried crime and gang violence, despite reports from the FBI and
criminologists that the U.S. crime rate remains near historic lows.
"This American carnage stops
right here and stops right now," Trump said, amid cheers from the crowd.
Soon, Trump and his vice
president, former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, will travel a little under two miles
from the U.S. Capitol to the White House, part of a parade that includes 8,000
members of the military, school marching bands, the Boy Scouts and veterans
groups. Also lining their route: Protesters representing 99 different groups.
In sporadic exchanges at security check points across downtown Washington,
protesters shouted: "No Trump! No KKK! No fascist USA!" Others
carried signs with such slogans as "Fake 45." But, so far, skirmishes appeared to be mostly
free from violence. Not far from the White House, several hundred protesters
clad in black ran through the streets, breaking windows and knocking over trash
cans. Police fired pepper spray to subdue demonstrators.
Preparations for the event have
been under way for months. Around 28,000 officers are on hand to provide
security for the event, including Secret Service, FBI agents, the Coast Guard,
police departments, and nearly 8,000 National Guard troops. Homeland Security
Secretary Jeh Johnson said authorities had "no specific, credible
threat" directed at the proceedings and authorities reported few, if any,
arrests.
Meanwhile, at the White House,
household crews are furiously preparing the mansion for its new occupants.
Earlier in the day, camera crews spotted President Obama making one last visit
to the Oval Office, slipping a letter in the desk drawer for his successor. Staff
members at the residence presented the Obamas with two flags: one that welcomed
them to the White House eight years ago; another that flew over the building
Friday morning, on their last day there. The Obama family heads to Palm
Springs, California, Friday for a vacation.
The formal hand-off of power is
now complete, as the Trump administration only begins to come into focus.
Trump, who has had no experience in elective office, now controls a vast
federal bureaucracy, including national security, international diplomacy, the
economy, the environment and the justice system. He's painted his governing
agenda in broad strokes, promising to "Make America Great Again" by
bringing jobs back to the U.S. and deliver a tough message on the international
stage.
His formal remarks from the
inaugural platform hearkened back to his campaign speeches: "We will bring
back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth
and we will bring back our dreams."
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