Taking oath as the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump said the "golden age" of America has begun and the country will be the envy of every nation.
In a message filled with hope and threats, interspersed with digs at the outgoing government led by Joe Biden, the Republican, who won a historic mandate in November despite losing in 2020, referred to the assassination attempt on him in Pennsylvania in July and said he was "saved by God to make America great again".
He also received standing ovations when he declared that he would announce a "national emergency" at the southern border in Mexico and a "national energy emergency" that would allow oil extractors to "drill, baby drill" - issues that had been key campaign pitches and resonated with his 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) supporters.
Rattling off other key talking points of his campaign, which may have far-reaching consequences, the President said his administration would deport "millions and millions" of undocumented migrants, "tariff and tax" foreign countries, "take back" the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump also positioned himself as a "peacemaker and unifier", pointing to some Israeli hostages being handed back by Hamas, and said he would lead the United States of America to new heights - including by sending astronauts to Mars - and make the country "greater than ever".
Speaking after taking oath as messages of congratulations, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, poured in, Mr Trump said, "The Golden age of America begins right now. America will soon be greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever before. I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success. A tide of change is sweeping the country. Sunlight is pouring over the entire world. and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before."
"From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first. Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced... And our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous, and free," he asserted.
Speaking about the assassination attempt on him, after which Elon Musk - the world's richest man - publicly declared that he was endorsing the Republican, Trump said, "Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed, to take my life. Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin's bullet ripped through my ear. But I felt then, and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again."
Executive Orders
Announcing his intention to sign a raft of executive orders, which carry the force of law but do not require Congressional approval, Trump got a standing ovation when he said he would declare a national emergency at the country's southern border with Mexico.
"All illegal entry will immediately be halted and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate my remain-in-Mexico policy. I will end the practice of catch and release. And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country," he said.
"And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to US soil, including our cities and inner cities. As Commander in Chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions, and that is exactly what I am going to do. We will do it at a level that nobody has ever seen before," he added.
Trump also used his catchphrase of "drill, baby, drill", saying he would declare a "national energy emergency".
"The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill. America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have, the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth and we are going to use it...We will be a rich nation again and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it," he said.
The new President also said he would revoke what he calls the electric vehicle "mandate", and "tariff and tax" foreign countries.
"I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens. For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues. It will be massive amounts of money pouring into our treasury coming from foreign sources. The American Dream will soon be back and thriving like never before," he emphasised.
Moving on to other pet issues, some of which he began talking about after winning re-election, Trump said he would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and take back the Panama Canal.
"We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made and Panama's promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty have been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form... that includes the United States Navy. And, above all, China is operating the Panama Canal and we didn't give it to China. We gave it to Panama and we're taking it back.
"Corrupt Establishment"
Attacking the Biden government, Trump said, "For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens, while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair. We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home, while at the same time stumbling into a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad. It fails to protect our magnificent, law-abiding American citizens, but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals"
Highlighting the problems under the previous administration, Trump also spoke about the wildfires in California, which burned through large swathes of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.
"...in Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defence. They're raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country, some of whom are sitting here right now. They don't have a home any longer. That's interesting, but we can't let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That's going to change," he said.
The President said the public health system in the US does not deliver in times of disaster despite more money being spent on it than any country in the world.
"And we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves, in many cases to hate our country despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them. All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly," he said.
