Donald Trump marked his return to the White House by granting controversial pardons to approximately 1,500 of his supporters convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. The move, alongside a flurry of executive actions, set the tone for an administration intent on reversing the policies of the Biden era and asserting Trump’s authority over the US government.
The pardons, announced hours after Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, included early releases for 14 high-profile members of the far-right Oath Keepers and Proud Boys groups, though their convictions remained intact. This decision reignited debate, particularly among law enforcement and lawmakers who faced life-threatening situations during the Capitol riots.
In the attack, which sought to overturn Trump’s 2020 electoral defeat, 140 police officers were assaulted, with four people losing their lives amid the chaos. Despite the controversy, Trump framed his actions as fulfilling a mandate to protect his supporters from what he called partisan persecution.
Trump, 78, took the oath of office in the Capitol Rotunda—a symbolic site that bore scars of the very riot his supporters had incited four years earlier. During his inaugural address, he portrayed himself as a divinely chosen figure, saying, “I was saved by God to make America great again.” His speech combined promises of renewal with sharp criticism of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Trump became the first president in over a century to regain the presidency after a loss and the first convicted felon to occupy the Oval Office. With Republican majorities in Congress backing him, he wasted no time implementing his agenda.
Trump signed a series of sweeping executive orders. He declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, he suspended refugee programs, canceled the citizenship-by-birth policy, and halted a smartphone app allowing migrants to schedule legal entry. Nearly 1,660 Afghans who had been cleared by the US government to resettle in the US, including family members of active-duty US military personnel, were having their flights canceled under a Trump order suspending US refugee programs.
Trump also withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement, reinvigorated domestic oil and gas drilling, and froze federal regulations on electric vehicles.
Mexican drug cartels were designated as terrorist organisations, unlocking federal resources to combat them.
He abolished federal diversity initiatives, mandated recognition of genders assigned at birth, and created the Department of Government Efficiency to streamline bureaucracy under Elon Musk’s leadership.
In his speech, Trump vowed to restore America’s global standing, promising to reclaim the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” He also highlighted plans for NASA to send astronauts to Mars, drawing enthusiastic support from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who was present at the ceremony.
Trump’s tone shifted when addressing the Middle East, calling himself a “peacemaker and unifier.” He celebrated the return of three Israeli hostages held by Hamas, a rare moment that earned a standing ovation from both Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
While Trump touted his inauguration as a turning point, the sharp partisan divides were evident. His bold rhetoric, including claims that his election marked “the greatest and most consequential in US history,” struck a chord with his supporters but raised concerns among critics and allies alike.