During a half-hour of MAGA ecstasy and Democratic misery, Trump's rhetoric rose to the top of the Capitol's 180-foot rotunda.
“America's golden age begins now,” he told an audience that never missed a moment to jump up and applaud wildly. “From this day on, our country will prosper and be respected again around the world.”
The man who insisted that after escaping an assassin's bullet last year that he was “saved by God to make America great again” painted a picture of the US that would surely bring a tear to the eye of any patriot to take.
The American Dream was “back and flourishing like never before,” Trump declared, as “the greatest civilization in history” rediscovered greatness as “a mighty republic of the most extraordinary citizens on Earth” whose “power will stop all wars… our golden age has just begun.'
Maybe not quite yet. Because Trump had barely sat down when it became clear that the Capitol's sound system was broken, forcing singer Carrie Underwood to save the day and sing 'America The Beautiful' a cappella.
It was another minor setback for a president who had previously bravely tried to plant a kiss on the face of a First Lady whose wide-brimmed hat rebuffed his advances.
He can't have it all his own way.
Whether he's protected by divine intervention or not, Donald Trump has made the most astonishing political comeback and today was his time to sit back and enjoy it.
Trump had barely taken his seat when it became clear that the Capitol's sound system was broken, forcing singer Carrie Underwood to save the day and sing “America The Beautiful” a cappella.
It was another minor setback for a president who had previously bravely tried to plant a kiss on the face of a new First Lady whose wide-brimmed hat inadvertently deflected his advance.
Few who were in the Capitol — myself included — to witness his first inauguration in 2017 could have imagined that we would ever see another Trump sworn in.
After all, we knew that even he was surprised by his shocking victory over Hillary Clinton, and almost all pundits viewed the Trump phenomenon as a mere aberration. Normal service would resume as soon as possible.
Instead, it is Trumpism that has resumed, and today's second inauguration was brimming with the confidence and conviction that the first lacked eight years ago.
At least America has been spared an argument over whose inauguration crowd is bigger. The intense cold put an end to any repetition of Trump's persistent claims from 2017, in which he challenged the idea that Barack Obama had drawn more people to Washington's National Mall for his 2009 swearing-in ceremony.
With the inauguration taking place at the Capitol — and other festivities at the city's Capital One arena — Trump had a good excuse not to break records this time.
Nevertheless, Trump clearly values crowd size and admitted at one point Monday that he really wouldn't have wanted the inauguration to take place indoors.
Though at least he could console himself with the fact that the weather also kept problem-seeking Democrats at bay.
Officials in Washington had previously reported that applications for protest permits had been slow, and while a few thousand people turned out for a “People's March” on Saturday and another anti-Trump protest on Monday, there was no repeat of the sprawling Women's March in Washington that day. after being sworn in in 2017, he attracted some 500,000 women wearing their memorable pink “pussy hats.”
Trump could certainly say he went for quality over quantity this time.
A president who clearly likes to surround himself with attractive, wealthy people has been blessed with the rise not only of the permanently tanned MAGA elite of Palm Beach and Miami, but also of the technology kings of Silicon Valley. Some of the richest men in the world – including Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and Apple's Tim Cook – got many of the best seats in the Capitol Rotunda and returned the favor by joining in the endless standing ovations.
It was an astonishing turnaround for a group of billionaires who just a few years ago were staunch Democrats, whose industry viewed The Donald with horror.
And you can't forget the techies' associates. Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos' helicopter-flying fiancée, managed to eclipse all the usual discussions about the Trump women's outfits with her own.
The busty 55-year-old, whose wardrobe never seems anything other than figure-hugging, wore a white Alexander McQueen pantsuit over a daring white lace bustier. Social media erupted with complaints that her 'bra' was completely inappropriate for a state occasion.
“Good grief, Lauren Sanchez. Put them away for a day,” one commenter said. Others joked that she was dressed by Victoria's Secret.
Mark Zuckerberg, who sat next to her in the rotunda, sometimes looked like he didn't know where to look.
For others, Sanchez's outfit only served to emphasize the style of Melania Trump, the ex-model who wore a much more subdued custom navy blue silk wool coat by Adam Lippes – and of course that wide-brimmed hat, which added function served to hide her expressions. .
Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos' helicopter-flying fiancée, has certainly managed to eclipse all the usual discussions about the Trump women's outfits with her own. Social media erupted with complaints that her 'bra' was completely inappropriate for a state occasion.
Mark Zuckerberg, who sat next to her in the rotunda, sometimes looked like he didn't know where to look.
Ivanka Trump, meanwhile, was also the victim of ridicule on social media, as some commentators drew an unkind similarity between her forest green Dior skirt suit and the outfits worn by the wives of the oppressive leaders in the dystopian TV series The Handmaid's Tale.
The president's eldest daughter, 53, had already expressed anger – this time mainly directed at fashion designer Oscar de la Renta – after wearing several of de la Renta's outfits during the weekend's pre-inauguration festivities.
Furious opponents of Trump ridiculously called for a 'boycott' of the designer's clothes. (Usha Vance, the new vice president's wife, wore a pale pink de la Renta outfit to the inauguration ceremony).
However, one woman stood out not because of her appearance, but because of her failure to appear at the inauguration. Michelle Obama broke with the usual tradition of ex-presidents and their spouses attending every swearing-in ceremony, forcing Barack to walk into the Capitol alone.
Although Michelle has not provided an explanation for her absence, sources close to the former First Lady insist that she has withdrawn from public life and certainly does not want to return to honor Trump.
“She can't overstate her feelings about him,” a source close to Michelle told People Magazine.
Ivanka Trump was also the victim of ridicule on social media, as some commentators saw an unkind resemblance between her forest green Dior skirt suit and the outfits worn by the wives of the oppressive leaders in the dystopian TV series The Handmaid's Tale.
Trump certainly won't miss her, and neither will his supporters who, watching live footage from the Capital One Arena, booed loudly when they saw Barack arrive at the Capitol.
For Trump, who later appeared in the arena to sign about 100 executive orders within hours of taking office, the day provided plenty of opportunity to do what he enjoys most: talking.
He effectively delivered two inauguration speeches — one from a teleprompter in the rotunda and another unscripted, another later in the Capitol visitors center, where he railed against his enemies, complained about Biden's last-minute pardon and referenced the MAGA supporters who were imprisoned for their part in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol as “hostages.”
Ironically, some of these “hostages” were back in DC last night – only this time to celebrate instead of agitate.
