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In his 21-minute opening speechPresident Biden presented an optimistic vision for the future and called on Americans to unite around common goals.
“It’s America Day. It’s Democracy Day,” Biden said. “Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause. The cause of democracy. The people, the will of the people, has been heard, and the will of the people has been heard.”
Noting that it was being inaugurated on the Capitol steps just two weeks after it was stormed by an “emotional crowd,” Biden said the country had learned that “democracy is precious, democracy is fragile, and at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed. “
“It’s a great nation. We are good people. And over the centuries, through storms and strife, in peace and war, we have come this far. And we still have a long way to go. We will move forward. quickly… and urgency, for we have a lot to do in this winter of peril and great opportunity, ”Biden said.
The president thanked his “predecessors on both sides for being here today,” although his immediate predecessor, Mr. Trump, was absent.
Mr Biden highlighted the struggles the country has yet to overcome, including the coronavirus pandemic, domestic terrorism, white supremacy and racial injustice.
“To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure America’s future, it takes more than words. It requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy: unity. , he said. He quoted President Abraham Lincoln, whose “whole soul” was devoted to “bringing America together”.
“Today, on this January day, all of my soul is in this: bringing America together. Uniting our people. Uniting our nation. And I ask every American to join me in this cause,” Mr. Biden.
Mr Biden acknowledged that it can seem difficult to achieve unity in such a divided nation, perhaps tacit recognition from Republicans in Congress who opposed the Electoral College results in an effort to overturn the election.
“I know that talking about unity may seem like a crazy fantasy to some these days. I know that the forces that divide us are deep and real. But I also know that they are not new,” Mr. Biden. “Politics does not have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement does not have to be a cause of all-out war. And we must reject the culture in which the facts themselves are manipulated. and even manufactured. ”
Mr. Biden also contacted supporters of Mr. Trump, urging them to “listen to me.”
“Listen to me, as we move on. Take a measure of me and my heart. If we still don’t agree, so be it. This is democracy. This is America. The right to peaceful dissent within the guardrails of our Republic is perhaps this nation’s greatest strength, “Biden said.” Yet listen to me clearly: disagreement must not lead to disunity. And I promise you this: I will be a president for all Americans. All Americans. And I promise you, I fight as hard for those who did not support me as I do for those who did. “
Mr Biden also said he understands those who “see the future with fear and trepidation,” but urged Americans to try and connect with those who disagree with them.
“We must put an end to this uncivil war which pits red against blue, rural against urban, conservative against liberal,” he said, adding that “we must put politics aside and finally face this pandemic as a nation, one nation “.
Mr Biden sought to reassure the American public, saying “we’re going to get through this together”, and also addressed the foreign public briefly while watching his speech.
“America has been tested. And we have come out of it stronger. We will mend our alliances and engage with the world again. Not to meet the challenges of yesterday, but the challenges of today and tomorrow. “Mr. Biden said.
Mr Biden also acknowledged the 400,000 Americans lost to the coronavirus pandemic, leading the audience in a “silent prayer” in honor of the victims and their families.
“I promise you that we will be judged – you and I – for how we resolve these cascading crises of our time,” he said.
He closed his speech with a “holy oath,” promising to defend the Constitution, speak the truth and lead the people without selfishness, an implicit rebuke to Mr. Trump.
“I will always be on par with you. I will defend the Constitution. I will defend our democracy. I will defend America,” Biden said. “With determination and determination we turn to these tasks of our time, upheld by faith, animated by conviction and devoted to one another and to the country we love with all our hearts.
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