Sworn in as President, Trump orders national emergency at Mexico border
The function was held indoors from 12 pm (10:30 pm IST) at the rotunda of the US Capitol building because of unusually intense cold and snow. Delivering his inaugural address, Trump remarked, “The golden age of America begins right now," and just hours later signed a slew of executive orders to redeem the election pledges.
WASHINGTON, Jan 20: Former President Donald Trump took the oath of office as
the new President of the United States on Monday after winning the election
last November even as the world waited to see how the unpredictable 'bully'
is going to redeem the 'moons' he promised to his countrymen to Make America
Great Again.
The function was held indoors from 12 pm (10:30 pm IST) at the rotunda of the
US Capitol building because of unusually intense cold and snow. President Joe
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden led Trump and his wife Melania to the Capitol
after tea in the White House.
Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States by Chief Justice
John Roberts. Melania Trump held the Bible during the 60th Presidential inauguration.
Trump at 78 is the oldest President to be sworn in and the second in US history
to serve nonconsecutive terms, the first being Grover Cleveland in 1893. He
is also the first President sentenced in a felony case to hold the office.
JD Vance was sworn in as Vice President.
Former US Presidents Bill Clinton with wife Hillary Clinton, George W Bush
and Barack Obama attended the function. Michelle Obama skipped. Vice President
Kamala Harris who was the Democratic candidate in the presidential election
against Republican Trump was also present with her husband.
The function was attended by many tech CEOs including Google's Sundar Pichai
and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg.
India was represented at the swearing-in ceremony by External Affairs Minister
S Jaishankar.
Among other dignitaries were India's billionaire businessman and Reliance chairman
Mukesh Ambani and wife Nita Ambani.
Inaugural address
Delivering his inaugural address, his first remark was: “The golden age of
America begins right now. From this day forward our country will flourish and
be respected again all over the world.”
The new President made a series of announcements which constituted his election
promises made to the people.
Trump vowed that the US would "take back" the Panama Canal, alleging that China
has gained control of the waterway. "We didn't give it to China, we gave it
to Panama. And we're taking it back," he said.
The US is withdrawing from the Paris climate treaty, he said. Other announcements
included an official policy that there are only two recognized genders, male
and female. The Gulf of Mexico will be renamed as the Gulf of America.
He said he was “saved by God to make America great again”. There wer two attempts
on his life.
Ahead of the inauguration, Trump and Melania Trump attended a service at St.
John’s Episcopal Church near the White House. Vice President-elect JD Vance
and his wife Usha Vance were also present. The Trumps then reached White House
for tea with Bidens before the inauguration.
Executive orders
After the swearing-in, Trump, on his first day back in White House, signed
a flurry of executive orders in the next couple of hours. The orders included
withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), which had not been in the
election promises.
He also signed pardons for 1,500 people who stormed and ravaged the Capitol
on January 6, 2021, egged by him as he lost the election.
By another order, the US withdrew from the Paris climate treaty. A 75-day reprieve
was granted to banned TikTok. Others were for a freeze on all Federal hiring,
review of tariffs and trade relations with China, Mexico and Canada, declaration
of a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, ending automatic birthright
citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, sanction to fracking etc.
The election promises
Trump, who defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris in the presidential election,
had made the earth-shaking promises to the people during his campaign, many
of them he vowed to implement on Day One itself.
The list of promises included a massive deportation of millions of illegal
immigrants living in the US especially from Mexico, a 25 % tariff hike on Canadian
goods to muzzle that country's economy over border crossings, cleansing the
Government machinery in Washington, ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Later he
also proposed seizing Panama canal and annexing Greenland. Lacking scientific
awareness, an aggressive ex-President threatened funds to schools that have
a vaccine or mask mandate will be cut.
After the inaugural function, Trump and First lady Melania Trump and JD Vance
and Second Lady Usha Vance danced at the glitzy Commander-in-Chief Ball. More
ceremonies followed.
A PROGNOSIS: Much maligned over old age and gaffes (or allowed to be !), Biden (81) leaving the scene has made Trump (78) the old man in the field! Now on a weak wicket, having forced to change his target mid-stream and rearrange his campaign strategy, the 'rogue' behind the Capitol rampage will be asked by a woman opponent, how old are you? Additionally, the sharpshooting prosecutor will be converting the hustings into a trial court for a decisive onslaught where the convicted felon will finally succumb.
OPINION: Quotas, permanent Government jobs, pay scales and tons of allowances and more than matching pensions are the 'gifts' of wretched vote bank politics in developing societies masquerading as a type of nascent democracy. Depressing poverty and painful migrations are the byproducts. The reality is: There can't be permanent jobs because demand for work is a 'variable'. And quota is its offspring. The agenda of creating jobs and quotas is therefore poor economics, with far-reaching social impacts, but of course serves those politicians in the short term.
ANALYSIS: A pious Catholic and a gentleman (in contrast to the savage-looking felon), Biden is the most experienced politician that he doesn't look. Of Irish descent, he has been around the Capitol Hill and the White House for over five decades, quietly observing people and events. With his rich experience and insight, understanding Biden and what he does now will be possible only retrospectively, may be a year later!! Therefore not many Americans can see that for some time now he has been preparing his 'favourite child' to take on his mantle.
At the end of it all what will stand is what Nikki Haley said on X, "Mark my words... Biden will not be the Democratic nominee. Republicans, get your guard up!"
If and when he withdraws from contest, he must quit White House as well. Why?
OPPOSITION WAKES UP ! The Opposition accused the Prime Minister, who seems to insist he alone will inaugurate everything in the country, of "hurriedly inaugurating" an "incomplete terminal" in March last for publicity on the eve of the general elections. At that time he had also laid the foundation stone for 15 other airport projects across the country. He was also accused of inaugurating an incomplete Ram temple in Ayodhya in January which started leaking in the first downpour last weekend.
It is also puzzling why every few years airport buildings are demolished in Delhi and new plans are made for new constructions and nobody seems to take notice! (Because the airport itself is tucked away in a far corner, not easily accessible to the discerning, with a web of roads going only round and round like a tape around a spool, as if not reaching anywhere!)
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi Government of "corruption and criminal negligence" in the name of infrastructure projects (launched every other day) in the last 10 years. Kharge also said Modi has been keen on indulging in ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale asked, "Why shouldn't PM Modi be charged with culpable homicide?"
COMMENT: A simple question but difficult to understand is why the people should be concerned about whether an NTA director is sacked for paper leakage or a DGP is removed for law and order breakdown. The people have nothing to do with the elite appointments nor their conduct. They are the cousin-brothers of the political dispensation. If not barred by fixation, kindly take a look at other countries!
“What I want to do and what I will do is, you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma (two-year programs or doctoral degrees) a green card to be able to stay in this country” permanently, the presidential candidate said. Asked if he would promise to allow the “best and the brightest around the world to (come to) America,” Trump firmly replied: “I do promise.”
COMMENT: Could Biden visualise a better immigration formula to build a still stronger America? Will Kamala Harris, in charge of migration, and struggling for ideas, take note?
Delhi has recorded the hottest night (35+ deg C), unheard of since the beginning of time! For 30 consecutive days the maximum temp is above 40 deg C and in the nights too the mercury stayed high as there is hardly any earth around to absorb and dissipate the day's heat. Add on to the nightmare the acute water shortage in the national Capital due to the power-hungry, low-grade politicians squabbling for one-upmanship. More than 200 people died in Delhi-NCR in the past two days. Most of them are poor people, labourers, the homeless, beggars.
An anatomy of NEET 2024: From the start till finish NEET will stay put as a conundrum jinxed as it is. What if it was thought angels would come down from the heaven to conduct the entrance exam if done at the Centre and if in the States, they would be conducted by the corrupt mortals. So NEET was born... It's 'guaranteed' that no party will ever be able to do what is required to be done in the country. Because of their genetics. Frauds will only multiply. Is there anything worse? Yes. Shoot the messenger!
A video shows the terrifying scene of the chopper swirling and dropping nose down mid-air around the helipad. In fact, the rear rotor had gone for a toss and the pilot was performing autorotation for a crash-landing. He pulled it off! Congrats!
True or false, Savitri claimed her husband had told her to throw Vinod into the canal as all that he does is eat. "How much torture can my son endure?" She picked him up when he was asleep.
Marking a decisive stage in the ongoing tussle between Governors and the Governments in some States, the Governor of Bengal has thrown down the gauntlet to the State police, asking the Raj Bhavan staff to refuse any enquiry from the cops in the sexual harassment case filed by a woman employee against him.
COMMENT: In many a case complaints can be frivolous, made under certain circumstances. So it is more in the interest of the accused that there is an investigation to clear his name. Denial may only mean acceptance of the guilt. Besides, quoting Constitutional immunity in sexual harassment cases is nothing short of a vulgarity of the feudal landlord. Nobody is above the law.
While the universal apprentice scheme will enable the educated youth to stand up (literally) in a country where the people are trampled by wretched politicians, and look about for avenues to earn a living confidently, the provision of student credit cards of up to Rs 10 lakh will ensure each and every student of this country receives equal opportunities to fulfil their aspirations of higher education irrespective of their financial conditions. It will be a game changer. These are on the lines of what US Vice-President Kamala Harris visualised to be happening to the Third World when she hailed Ajay Banga as a transformative World Bank President.
Peter Higgs is the father of the mysterious Higgs boson, otherwise called 'God Particle', which gives mass to all elementary particles, and created our universe. His contribution helped other scientists understand how the Big Bang created something out of nothing 13.8 billion years ago. The equations of particle physicists which did not have a leg to stand on till then, the 'God Particle' came as a Godsend. The theories so far to describe the universe did not hold water.
It was only by 2012, after 50 years of the boson discovery, that scientists at CERN could make the big announcement that they had finally found a Higgs boson using the Large Hadron Collider.
Higgs instantly broke into tears, tears of profound satisfaction, in the lecture hall where the announcement was made.
LEGAL REMEDIES: Last year, on the directive of the Supreme Court, the Governor granted assent to one Bill, and referred seven Bills to the President. The petition against the President also challenges the Governor's action of referring the Bills to her.
The unprecedented step by the State may also establish that it always upholds the Constitution and the rule of law in order to pre-empt any eventuality of getting dismissed on flimsy grounds invoking provisions of the Constitution later on; and, also provide a thrust to an emerging platform of regional forces pitted against the ongoing centralisation of every subject and activity in the country under one umbrella where the States will ultimately 'wither' away (for some time).
OPINION: Made to happen as it does just weeks ahead of the general elections, the arrest may signal, if not the cause of, far-reaching consequences in the course of Indian politics. The Opposition charges that the ruling party at the Centre has unleashed the police to catch a leader every other day for corruption allegedly indulged in in the present or the remote past in order to incapacitate any concerted opposition to the ruling dispensation.
The “My way or the highway" man, Trump has predicted 'apocalypse' for Americans if he is not elected the President in the upcoming election. He sounds “extremism, affection for violence." As always, he is also seeing what others don't, and repetitively using words like "(2020) election was stolen"! And that's a symptom! Delivering a no-holds-barred speech at a rally in Ohio, he also predicted the US won't see another election if he did not win the November battle against the incumbent President. With his savage push against the God-fearing Catholic, and the heap of criminal cases pending in the courts, the unpredictable Trump's nomination exposes a season of drought of leadership of calibre in the United States.
The much-touted 'one-nation, one-election' argument was purportedly to prevent wasteful expenditure of the people's money, manpower and deceleration of development, but the committee report when implemented will end up paving the way for holding more elections than currently being held. Because of the logistics and democratic limitations involved, the committee was not expected by commonsense to be out of a loose end either! Those who are alive at that time, and further for ten more years thereafter, can count the rounds and compare with the present numbers. Therefore, either the agenda is different or the 8-volume presentation is faulty/made-up!!!
The manager has defended himself saying that dry ice got mixed with mouth freshener by the negligence of the staff...After taking the mouth freshener the customers felt a burning sensation and started vomiting blood. Five of them were hospitalised. Two are in critical condition.
Harmful effects of dry ice: Ingested, dry ice can burn your mouth, esophagus and stomach as it sublimates on contact with the moisture of the organs and turns into CO2, apart from other damaging physical and chemical changes it induces. The pressure building up in the stomach due to sublimation can also rupture the stomach muscles. It turns lethal. In normal direct handling it leads to frostbite due to the cold temperature.
One of them is seen in CCTV being shot at close range. The motive is suspected to be personal enmity.
TAILPIECE: Almost every other day we hear of shootings in one place or other in the country. India will very soon replace the US as the world's No 1 in the incidence of mass shooting. It will eclipse terrorism as a source of concern. Who can help? At least, has it occurred to anyone's mind?
'This Moment' of Shakti fusion won the Best Global Music Album at the Grammys. Zakir Hussain has won two other awards too. In a great victory for Indians, five of them have won the Grammys this time. In other sections, Taylor Swift got her fourth Album of the Year award and Miley Cyrus got an award for the first time.