President Donald Trump pledged to usher in a golden age for America as he was sworn in for his second term, marking a pivotal shift in the U.S. government expected to have profound impacts on both American society and the global stage.
"I, Donald John Trump do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," Trump said in brief remarks at the U.S. Capitol.
Following the inauguration, the president departed the Capitol and headed to the nearby Capital One Arena, where addressed his supporters during a rally.
Trump announced Friday that his inaugural events would move indoors due to frigid temperatures across the capital region.
He said he "was saved by God" during the July assassination attempt "to make America great again."
"I was saved by God for a reason," he said during the speech at the U.S. Capitol, referring to an assassination attempt against him on the campaign trail. "I was saved by God to make America great again."
Trump also vowed that the world's biggest economy would again see itself as "a growing nation" that expands its territory, adding that the country would plant its flag on Mars.
"We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars," he said.
Taking aim at his predecessor Joe Biden's administration, Trump called his election "a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal."
He pointed to what he called corruption, government incompetence, a failure to protect U.S. citizens from criminals, a failure to tackle irregular migration, and an inability to deal with crises such as the recent flooding in North Carolina and wildfires in Los Angeles.
"We have a public health system that does not deliver in times of disaster, yet more money is spent on it than any country anywhere in the world, and we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves, in many cases, to hate our country, despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them.
"All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly," he said.
"From this moment on, America's decline is over."
