© 2024
NPR for Northern Colorado
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Biden Celebrates 'Triumph' Of Democracy In Inaugural Address

President Joe Biden prepares to deliver his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
Tasos Katopodis
/
Getty Images
President Joe Biden prepares to deliver his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

President Biden gave his first presidential address to Americans on Wednesday, in a star-studded Inauguration Day event that went unattended by his predecessor.

In his remarks, Biden promised to help the nation heal, both from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as well as from political rifts that had deepened considerably during the term of former President Donald Trump.

"Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause: the cause of democracy. The people — the will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded," Biden said.

"To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America requires so much more than words. It requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy: Unity."

Biden did not directly address Trump, who earlier in the day left the White House for his Mar-a-Lago resort. Former Vice President Pence attended the inaugural ceremony.

"With unity we can do great things, important things," Biden said.

"Without unity, there is no peace. Only bitterness and fury. No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward."

The president's remarks follow the theme of his candidacy, which called on Americans to abandon hyper-partisanship in favor of unifying against the nation's woes.

"We'll press forward with speed and urgency for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibilities. Much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build and much to gain.," he said.

"Now, on this hallowed ground where just a few days ago violence sought to shake the Capitol's very foundation, we come together as one nation, under God, indivisible to carry out the peaceful transfer of power, as we have for more than two centuries," Biden said, referencing the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

"I pledge this to you: I will be a president for all Americans, all Americans. And I promise you I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Alana Wise is a politics reporter on the Washington desk at NPR.
Related Content