Under blue skies and heavy security, Joe Biden was sworn in Wednesday as the 46th president of the United States.
The former vice president and Delaware senator placed his hand on a more-than-100-year-old family Bible held by his wife Jill Biden, as he took the oath of office.
During his speech outside the U.S. Capitol, exactly two weeks after the deadly insurrection, Biden told the nation “democracy has prevailed.”
“The will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded. We’ve learned again that democracy is precious and democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed,” he said. “This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. A day in history and hope, of renewal and resolve.”
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Before Biden stood before the audience, Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president. The former California senator is the first woman, the first African American and the first individual of Asian descent to be elected to the office.
Harris, former first lady Michelle Obama, and former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton all wore shades of purple. The color symbolizes bipartisan unity and the suffragette movement for the right for women to vote in the U.S.
In a symbolic gesture, Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton all featured purple in their outfits on #InaugurationDay.
Traditionally thought of as the color of bipartisanship, purple sends a message of unity during this historic presidential transition of power. pic.twitter.com/udC4WzRX6p
— Vox (@voxdotcom) January 20, 2021
About 1,000 guests attended the ceremony, all wearing masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The audience included former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, along with members of Congress, the Supreme Court, celebrities, and other dignitaries.
During the ceremony, Lady Gaga held a gold microphone and sang the national anthem, accompanied by the U.S. Marine Corps band.
Jennifer Lopez performed a bilingual rendition of “This Land Is Your Land,” and quoted “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all…” in Spanish.
Former President Donald Trump did not attend, making him the first president in modern history to skip his successor’s inauguration.
Watch the video below of the inauguration.
