WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump took the oath of office for the second time as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, laying out an agenda that largely foreshadowed his campaign promises.
President Trump, who spoke inside the Capitol Rotunda rather than outdoors due to subzero temperatures, said “America’s golden age begins now” and touted it as “the beginning of a thrilling new era.”
He has cracked down on illegal immigration, expanded domestic oil drilling, imposed tariffs, reversed federal electric vehicle targets, declared that there are only two genders assigned at birth, and advocated for diversity, equity, and inclusion. He vowed to abolish the sex program.
“Starting today, everything changes,” he said. “And that’s going to change very quickly.”
Trump, who appeared in the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall shortly after his inaugural address, delivered further remarks in the stream-of-consciousness style familiar to campaign rallies.
Most economists say tariffs do not “enrich” the country imposing them.
President Trump advocated his plan to enact tariffs, saying, “Instead of taxing our own people to make other countries rich, we will impose tariffs and taxes on foreign countries to make our own people rich.”
Our report finds that most economists disagree that tariffs “enrich” Americans and that real-world examples of tariffs working that way are rare. Ta. Consumers in countries that impose tariffs are said to be suffering trade losses due to price hikes.
“Tariffs artificially raise the cost of doing business, lower gross domestic product, artificially raise prices, and increase sales,” said Ross Burkhart, a political scientist at Boise State University who studies trade policy. “It reduces production across the economy in the form of fewer goods being produced,” he told PolitiFact. August. “For consumers, this means less purchasing power.”
Tariffs also mean producers pay more as the prices of materials used to make products domestically rise. U.S. producers could expect retaliatory tariffs, and U.S. consumers could see higher prices. And reduced international competition allows remaining producers to raise prices, harming consumers.
President Trump’s false claims about federal disaster relief
President Trump criticized the Biden administration’s response to natural disasters, including Hurricane Helen in North Carolina in 2024 and the Los Angeles fires that began this month.
President Trump said of Hurricane Helen: “As the great people of North Carolina recently demonstrated, our nation is unable to provide basic services in emergencies.” President Trump added: “We’ve seen recently in Los Angeles where fires from weeks ago are still burning devastatingly with no protection in place.”
The Biden administration provided federal funding for both disasters.
In September, then-President Joe Biden declared Hurricane Helen a major disaster in North Carolina. This declaration makes available funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Relief Fund.
On December 21, 2024, Biden signed a federal spending bill that directs $29 billion to FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund as part of a broader $100 billion disaster relief package, averting a government shutdown. This comes after hurricanes Helen and Milton hit the southeastern United States in September and October, respectively, prompting calls for more funding.
As of December 9, 2024, FEMA is obligated to repay more than $292 million to North Carolina agencies for emergency response. (A financial obligation is a promise to distribute funds.)
On January 8, Biden also approved California Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration, which would make federal resources, including funding, available.
President Trump misleads about Green New Deal and electric vehicle ‘mandates’
President Trump caused a misunderstanding when he said, “My actions today will end the Green New Deal and rescind the electric vehicle mandate.”
The Green New Deal has not been implemented. Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York introduced a resolution in 2019 that laid out a broad vision for addressing climate change, but it never became law. Ta. After Biden took office, Congress passed legislation to advance climate change policy goals, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Control Act. President Trump cannot rescind the law with an executive order.
It remains to be seen what President Trump’s executive actions will bring. In 2024, the Biden administration issued a rule requiring that 56% of all new cars and light trucks sold in the United States be electric or hybrid by 2032, building on a goal set in its first year in office. .
President Trump exaggerates rising apple prices
President Trump spoke about apples during freewheeling remarks to supporters in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol.
“But how many times can you say the price of apples has doubled?” Trump said. “I said it, and I hit it hard.”
Even at peak prices, apple prices were not twice as high as they were when Biden took office in January 2021.
Apple prices are now about the same as they were at the beginning and end of Biden’s term, according to Producer Price Index data. (This statistic is not measured in dollars and cents; it is an index pegged at 100.)
Apple prices rose during Biden’s tenure, along with the prices of many groceries and other consumer products. But even at its brief peak in February 2023, apple prices were about 1.4 times, not twice, what they were when Biden took office.
President Trump repeats unproven claims that immigrants are coming from prisons and mental hospitals
President Trump reiterated his campaign’s claim that “people from prisons and psychiatric hospitals have entered our country illegally from all over the world.”
There is no evidence that countries are emptying their prisons or that psychiatric hospitals are forcing people to illegally immigrate to the United States.
According to federal data, from fiscal years 2021 to 2024, immigration authorities arrested approximately 108,000 noncitizens with criminal convictions (whether in the United States or abroad). This accounts for people stopping at ports of entry and between ports of entry. Not everyone was allowed in.
Claims regarding Chinese control of the Panama Canal
President Trump, who reiterated his goal of regaining control of the Panama Canal, misled the canal’s operations.
“And most of all, China runs the Panama Canal,” Trump said.
That’s wrong.
The Republic of Panama has owned and managed the Panama Canal since December 31, 1999, when Panama took over full operations.
The Panama Canal Authority is an autonomous government agency governed by an 11-member board of directors that manages the waterway.
China has influence over the canal. Three defense experts who conducted fieldwork in Panama, Carla Martinez-McChain of the University at Buffalo, Michael A. Allen of Boise State University, and Michael E. Flynn of Kansas State University, announced on January 13 In a Sunday article, President Trump’s December 25 claim reads: It was false that Chinese soldiers were running the canal. However, experts write that Chinese companies do have a stake in the waterway.
“Currently, Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Ports, manages the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, which serve as entry and exit points to the canal. We have renewed the lease contract that we manage.”
However, the experts added, “Although these ports are controlled by a Hong Kong company, authority over the ports and canal is still maintained by the Panama Canal Authority, an agency of the Panamanian government.”
President Trump reinstates promise to rename Alaska’s Denali Mountain
President Trump has promised to restore the name of Alaska’s Denali, the highest mountain in the United States, to Mount McKinley. It’s not a new focus for the president.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, President Trump said, “President Obama wants to change the name of Mount McKinley to Denali, which has been the name for more than 100 years. It’s a huge insult to the state of Ohio. I’m going to change my clothes and go back! ”
As we reported in 2018, Alaska Republicans Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, along with many of their constituents, expressed their opposition to the move in a March 2017 meeting with President Trump. revealed. They noted that the mountain was given its name by the Athabascan people more than 10,000 years ago.
“Mr. Murkowski would like to thank President Trump for listening to his feedback on this issue. We believe this issue is resolved,” Murkowski’s communications director Karina said at the time. Borger told PolitiFact.
Flash forward to 2025: The problem doesn’t seem all that resolved anymore.
Trump did not place his hand on the Bible during his oath of office. He’s still president.
Immediately after Trump took the oath of office, people began claiming that Trump did not place his left hand on the Bible.
That’s true, but that doesn’t mean he’s not president.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts began administering the oath to Trump, instructing First Lady Melania Trump, who was holding a Bible, to raise her right hand before taking her place at Trump’s side. Trump repeated the oath but did not move his left hand over the Bible, according to videos and images from the ceremony.
Presidents and other members of government have historically sworn the oath on copies of the Bible, but the Constitution does not require it.
Article VI, Section 3 of the Constitution states that members of Congress, state legislatures, executive officers, and judicial officers are obliged to uphold the Constitution “by oath or affirmation.” “However, no religious examination is ever required as a qualification for any office or public office under the United States.”
America is asking why this is the 60th inauguration.
As Trump prepared to be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States (he was already the 45th), social media users questioned why the swearing-in ceremony would count as the 60th inauguration of the United States. presented.
All elected presidents are sworn in during their first term and a second time if they win a second term. (Franklin D. Roosevelt held office four times before the Constitution was amended to limit presidential terms to two terms.)
A vice president who becomes president unexpectedly, such as after the president’s death, always takes the oath of office. However, this is not considered an inauguration ceremony. This is because the inauguration ceremony is held as soon as possible after the position becomes vacant, rather than the regularly scheduled extravaganza of an inauguration ceremony.
Beginning in 1789, when George Washington was sworn in, 60 inaugurations were held at four-year intervals.
