Donald Trump inaugurated as US president: As it happened
Donald Trump is scheduled to take the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States at the US Capitol on Monday.
The event has been moved indoors on account of sub-zero temperatures in Washington, DC. There have also been security concerns, given that Trump barely survived an assassination attempt last July on the campaign trail.
Just a week later, President Joe Biden bowed out of the race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump proceeded to win the Electoral College, the popular vote, and all seven swing states in the November 5 election.
Trump is only the second US president ever to be sworn in for non-consecutive terms. Grover Cleveland was the 22nd (1885-1889) and the 24th president (1893-1897).
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21 January 2025
06:15 GMTPanamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s recent statements about reclaiming control over the Panama Canal.
Mulino emphasized that the Panama Canal is Panamanian territory, resulting from “generational struggles,” and asserted, “there is no presence of any nation in the world that interferes with our administration.” “We will exercise the right that protects us,” he concluded.
- 05:45 GMT
Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). This action initiates a 12-month withdrawal process, during which the US will halt financial contributions to the WHO.
President Trump has criticized the organization for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and alleged undue influence from certain member states.
- 05:07 GMT
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order suspending all US foreign assistance programs for 90 days. The move aims to review and align these programs with his administration’s policy goals.
The order emphasizes prioritizing US security and prosperity in foreign aid decisions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the review will determine which programs serve American interests effectively.
- 04:55 GMT
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized President Donald Trump’s pardoning of over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, stating, “Donald Trump is ushering in a Golden Age for people that break the law and attempt to overthrow the government.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also condemned the pardons as “an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol.”
- 04:28 GMT
Donald Trump has signed an executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship for children born in the US to non-citizen or non-legal permanent resident parents.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other advocacy groups promptly filed a lawsuit, challenging the order’s constitutionality.
They argue that the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to all individuals born on US soil, regardless of parental status. The ACLU emphasized that birthright citizenship is a fundamental promise of equality and inclusion in America.
President Trump’s order contends that the 14th Amendment has not been universally interpreted to grant citizenship to everyone born in the country, noting its original intent to ensure citizenship for Black individuals post-Civil War.
- 04:10 GMT
President Donald Trump has reinstated Cuba on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, reversing former President Joe Biden’s January, 14 decision.
Biden’s removal followed a Vatican-mediated agreement in which Cuba agreed to release over 500 prisoners, including those detained during the 2021 protests.
Trump’s action reimposes sanctions such as restrictions on US foreign assistance and a ban on defense exports. Cuba has consistently denied allegations of supporting terrorism. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the move in social media as an “act of mockery and abuse.”
- 02:50 GMT
Trump has signed an executive order aimed at “defending women from [the] gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government.”
According to the document, the US recognizes only two sexes, male and female. “These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” the order says.
The document draws a distinction between sex, which is based on immutable biological characteristics, and “gender identity”, which “reflects a fully internal and subjective sense of self, disconnected from biological reality and sex.”
- 02:35 GMT
Trump has formally established the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was given a 18-month mandate to “maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.”
The new commission will be set up in the Executive Office of the President in place of the US Digital Service.
Trump originally said that DOGE would be led by tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. On Monday, a spokesperson for the commission announced that Ramaswamy was quitting DOGE in favor of running for an elected office. It was reported that he intends to run for governor of Ohio.
- 01:57 GMT
Trump has signed an executive order to protect TikTok from prosecution for 75 days. The viral social media app was shut down for 14 hours over the weekend after its failure to meet a January 19 deadline imposed by the government.
TikTok will still be required to fully or partially divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance due to the US government’s concerns about national security and potential misuse of the personal data collected from Americans.
- 01:33 GMT
Trump has designated foreign-based drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations.” Fighting organizations such as the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua is a priority for the president, according to the White House.
Trump plans to leverage the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to battle organized crime organizations on US soil, the statement said.
