Joe Biden Becomes 46th President of the United States
Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Jill Biden holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021.(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)
Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. He took the oath of office just before 11 a.m. CST during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. The presidential oath was administered by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
Biden was sworn in using a Bible that has been in his family since 1893 and was used during his swearing-in as vice president in 2009 and 2013. The 5-inch thick Bible, which could be seen on a table next to Biden’s chair on the dais, has a Celtic cross on its cover and was also used each time he was sworn-in as a U.S. senator.
Biden’s late son, Beau, also used the Bible for his own swearing-in ceremony as attorney general of Delaware and helped carry the Bible to his father’s 2013 ceremony.
President Biden is taking the helm of a deeply divided nation and inheriting a confluence of crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors.
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There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face. That’s why today, I am heading to the Oval Office to get right to work delivering bold action and immediate relief for American families.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 20, 2021
Just prior to his swearing-in, Kamala Harris was sworn in as the nation’s first female vice president.
The former U.S. senator from California is also the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency and becomes the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government.
She was sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court.
Vice President Mike Pence, standing in for President Donald Trump, was sitting nearby as Lady Gaga sang the national anthem accompanied by the U.S. Marine Corps band.
Flouting tradition, outgoing President Donald Trump departed Washington this morning ahead of the inauguration rather than accompany his successor to the Capitol. Former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are attending.
The other living former president, 96-year-old Jimmy Carter, previously announced he would not attend.
Three Supreme Court justices are absent from Biden’s inauguration, citing health risks from the coronavirus pandemic.
Justices Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer and Samuel Alito did not join the others on the west front of the Capitol. Breyer is 82, the oldest member of the court. Thomas is 72 and Alito is 70.
Biden attended church ahead of his inauguration, a traditional step taken ahead of the swearing-in ceremony. He and incoming first lady Jill Biden went to a service at Washington’s Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. With them were incoming Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff.
Many presidents have chosen St. John’s Episcopal Church, sometimes called “Church of the Presidents,” for the inaugural day service. Biden is the second Catholic U.S. president, and St. Matthew’s is the seat of the Catholic archbishop of Washington.
Biden spent Tuesday night at Blair House, a traditional move ahead of a president’s inauguration.
Congratulations to President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris on their historic inauguration! On behalf of the people of AL, I’m committed to working with the new @POTUS & @VP administration for the good of our country. May God unify this great nation. 🇺🇸 @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/kvWXFN1iaZ
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) January 20, 2021
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