Donald Trump Inaugurated as 47th President of the United States

What Happened?

Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47^th President of the United States at noon on January 20, 2025.

The ceremony was moved indoors due to extreme cold weather which has blanketed much of the continental United States in the past week.

Mr. Trump becomes only the second President in American history to win two non-consecutive terms, the other being Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22^nd and 24^th President.

Mr. Trump told attendees at a pre-inauguration party Saturday night he has nearly one hundred executive orders ready to sign on his first day in office.

Why it Matters

President Trump has promised to take numerous actions on his first day back in the White House on issues ranging from immigration to granting TikTok an extension.

His inauguration was attended by crowds of supporters and nearby protestors, both of whom expressed their views peacefully. As he did in 2016, Mr. Trump takes office while Republicans control the U.S. House and Senate.

A key difference this time is that conservatives also now have a majority on the U.S. Supreme Court, which they did not have during Mr. Trump’s first term.

Though conservatives have majorities in both chambers of Congress, internal divisions could be a challenge for the Trump Administration, as they were in 2016.

The degree to which Mr. Trump is able to implement his agenda will depend on how well he is able to shore up unity within the Republican Party, a task which has frustrated and even eluded many Presidents in the past.

But with no elections in 2025, there is a real chance of getting new legislation passed in Congress.

A key early action issue for the Trump Administration will likely be immigration. According to the Washington Post:

‘President Trump intends to launch a “light speed” mass deportation campaign as soon as he “puts his hand on that Bible and takes the oath of office,” top aide Stephen Miller has boasted. While U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has long prioritized immigrants with criminal records, there are other subgroups that could be at a higher risk of deportation. They include millions of newcomers who arrived during the record border influx under President Joe Biden, as well as those who have exhausted their legal appeals but haven’t left the United States.’

How it Affects You

After winning the popular vote and coming into office with party majorities, President Trump is well-positioned to implement the agenda he promised during the election. But he will face obstacles.

The Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is razor thin, and if even a few Republicans break ranks and join Democrats new legislative initiatives could be stalled.

Abroad President Trump faces a world torn by conflict, as the war in Ukraine goes on with no end in sight and a tenuous cease fire has for the moment halted the fighting in Gaza.