Trump’s Inauguration Speech Focuses on Promise to Lift a Nation Out of ‘Recession’

If his first inaugural address was a relentlessly dark vision of “American carnage,” President Trump made his second a mockery of the power of one person’s ability to save a nation — especially his own.

The 47th president’s 29-minute address on Monday, just after noon, painted a picture of a country in turmoil, gripped by “years of establishment and corruption,” with a pillar of society “broken and seemingly completely destroyed.” .” America, he said, “cannot manage even a simple crisis at home, and at the same time stumble upon a catalog of terrible events abroad.”

A misleading and incomplete assessment of a country whose economy is growing, with inflation, illegal immigration, record-breaking stock markets, record lows of violent crimes in many years and the military that has limited participation in conflicts around the country. the world.

In this way, Mr. Trump’s political appeal is based on one rhetoric: convincing his supporters that he—and only he—can solve what hurts (or doesn’t hurt) the country. And this represents revenge for the way he designed his first presidency — as a constant war against enemies, foreign and domestic.

“My recent election is a mandate to fully and completely restore the terrible treason and the many betrayals that have occurred and restore the people’s faith, wealth, democracy and their freedom,” Mr. .

“America’s decline is over,” he said.

Mr. Trump has pledged that the country is entering a “golden age,” as his own results show — noting that he emerged victorious in the face of political opposition, legal wrangling and even two attempts at even his life.

“It made me feel better, and I believed even more that there was a reason for saving my life.” God saved me to make America great again,” he said, later adding, “As you can see today, here I am. The American people have spoken. “

Mr. Trump’s coverage of his speech was more limited than his raucous rally. Instead of watching the throngs of supporters spread across the Washington Mall, the new president – citing the cold weather – delivered his speech to a small group of dignitaries inside the Capitol Rotunda, which echoed on the marble floor. the sound of his voice. .

He read the speech from a teleprompter, which seemed to have few of his trademarks, without pause. It was more businesslike than some of his rants, and more dutiful than his first speech, almost as if to say, “I’ve explained it all to you before.”

But when it comes to the content of his schedule, he’s not pulling his punches.

Mr. Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 by promising that he would “use the full and substantial powers of federal and state law enforcement” to prosecute immigrants and violent gangs. On trade and energy and inflation and gender and military power, he vowed not to waver or compromise.

There will be only men and women in America, he said, men and women. There will be no option for electric cars. You will not be exempt from travel costs for other countries. And there will be no misunderstanding when it comes to the military’s mission. The Panama Canal will be taken over, which means he will use force if necessary. And the Gulf of Mexico will be called the Gulf of America, he said.

The speech had echoes of the angry jeremiad he delivered in his 2017 inauguration speech, which was unyielding in tone and contained few of the traditional notes.

Eight years ago, Mr. Trump described “mothers and children trapped in poverty in our cities,” “rusting factories scattered like graveyards across our nation,” schools that teach nothing at all. students, and crime and gangs. and the drugs that have stolen so many lives and robbed our country of intangibles”.

On Monday, he accused the government of “trying to socialize race and gender in all aspects of public and private life” and said his predecessor had followed eye of “chronic disease”.

Since Mr. Trump expressed hope eight years ago, the hope is that he will succeed in advancing his agenda.

“America is going to start winning again, winning like never before,” he told a crowd gathered in front of the Capitol in 2017. “We’re going to take our jobs back. We will take back our borders. We will restore our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams”.

Monday’s inauguration speech was more commanding and detailed as Mr. Trump outlined various policy goals he said he intended to achieve. And there were moments of discussion that were not seen at first.

He cited the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. on Monday when he promised that he would “try to work together to realize his dream”. And he said that “the proudest heritage is that of peacemakers and unifiers. That’s what I want to be, a peacemaker and unifier.

But, as he soon explains, that means integration behind the scenes.

“The whole country is rapidly rallying behind our agenda,” he said on Monday, “with growing support from almost every segment of our society, young and old, male and female.” , African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, urban, rural, rural.”

He ended his usual musings by considering the power of his own election.

“It’s very important,” he said, “we won very strongly in the seven swing states and the popular vote. We won with millions of people.”