Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, was sworn in on Monday as the 47th US president, taking charge as Republicans claim unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country’s institutions.
Trump’s swearing-in ceremony moved indoors due to intense cold. After being inaugurated, he attended a parade in his honor at Capital One Arena and signed a number of executive orders and pardons for his supporters who stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Some of the most exclusive seats at Trump’s inauguration were reserved for powerful tech CEOs who also happen to be among the world’s richest men.
That’s a shift from tradition, especially for a president who has characterized himself as a champion of the working class. Seats so close to the president are usually reserved for the president’s family, past presidents and other honored guests.
Nayib Hassan, an attorney for former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, said in a statement that his client’s pardon “symbolizes a turning point for our nation.”
“Throughout this journey, we have steadfastly maintained that the charges and the subsequent prosecution were politically motivated, and today, with President Trump’s act of clemency, that long-fought battle concludes,” Hassan said.
Metropolitan police officer Daniel Hodges, who was nearly crushed in a doorway while defending the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, posted a message on social media that he learned about Trump’s mass pardons of rioters after working all day to ensure that Monday’s inauguration was “secure and peaceful.”
“Thanks America,” he wrote.
Trump signed an memorandum allowing his White House counsel to grant interim six-month security clearances – including access to the highest levels of government information – to some aides whose federal background checks are pending.
Trump delayed in signing an agreement with the outgoing Biden administration last year that would have enabled the FBI to begin processing those clearances faster. Trump’s memo directs that they be granted access to federal property, technology and information immediately.
Associated Press
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