Donald Trump aims to erase Joe Biden’s legacy with pardons and executive orders

21 January 2025, 09:54

Donald Trump speaks on stage from behind a podium at the Commander in Chief Ball
Trump Inauguration. Picture: PA

His first action after arriving at the White House was pardoning around 1,500 people charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riots.

US President Donald Trump has started erasing his predecessor Joe Biden’s legacy after taking office.

Mr Trump, who became the nation’s 47th president on Monday, has pardoned nearly all of his supporters who rioted at the US Capitol on January 6 2021 and issued executive orders that signal his desire to remake American institutions.

Four years after being voted out of the White House, Mr Trump has a second chance to launch what he called “a golden age” for the country.

He signed orders for increasing border security, designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, limiting birthright citizenship, freezing new regulations and establishing a taskforce for reducing the size of the federal government. He also rescinded dozens of directives issued by Mr Biden, including those relating to climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Close-up of Donald Trump's hands as he signs an executive order
Mr Trump signed a number of executive orders (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Mr Trump said that walking back into the already-remodelled Oval Office after his inauguration was “one of the better feelings I’ve ever had”. Unlike during his first term, when new staff members scrambled to figure out what their president was trying to achieve, Mr Trump moved rapidly and methodically to advance his agenda on Monday.

His first action after arriving at the White House was pardoning around 1,500 people charged in connection with the January 6 attack, even if they had been convicted of assaulting police officers. Mr Trump commuted the sentences of another 14 people, including leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys extremist groups.

The decision amounted to impunity for supporters of Mr Trump who upended the country’s tradition of peaceful transfers of power by trying to overturn his election defeat four years ago. Mr Trump described them as “hostages” and said he expected them to be freed shortly. A crowd gathered outside a prison in Washington DC to welcome their release.

Mr Trump’s inauguration combined formal ceremony and freewheeling rhetoric. Before leaving the White House for an evening of inaugural balls, Mr Trump spent nearly an hour fielding questions from reporters.

Donald Trump dancing with his wife Melania
Donald and Melania Trump danced at the Liberty Ball after his inauguration (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

He promised that tariffs on Canada and Mexico were coming, suggested that he might visit China and praised the decorators for the new look of his Oval Office. Among other changes, a portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt that had been hung by Mr Biden was replaced with one of George Washington.

Frigid weather rewrote the particulars of the day. Mr Trump’s swearing-in was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda – the first time that has happened in 40 years – and the inaugural parade was replaced by an event with marching bands at Capital One Arena.

In his inaugural address, Mr Trump declared the beginning of “the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense”.

Mr Trump said the government faces “a crisis of trust”. He claimed to have “a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal”, promising to “give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom”.

“From this moment on,” he added as Mr Biden watched from the front row, “America’s decline is over”.

Also present at the ceremony was former vice president Kamala Harris, who replaced Mr Biden on the ballot after he abandoned his re-election bid last summer, only to be defeated by Mr Trump in the general election.

Mr Trump said he would lead a government that “expands our territory”, a reference to his goals of acquiring Greenland from Denmark and restoring US control of the Panama Canal.

He also pledged to “pursue our manifest destiny into the stars” by launching American astronauts to Mars. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and the owner of a space rocket company with billions of dollars in federal contracts, cheered and flashed two thumbs up as Mr Trump spoke.

Trump supporters who descended on the city to watch the incoming president take the oath of office from the National Mall were left to find other places to view the ceremony when it was moved inside. But a cadre of tech titans – including Mr Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai – were given prominent positions in the Rotunda.

After the ceremony, Mr Trump walked with Mr Biden to the building’s east side, where the Democrat left via helicopter to begin his post-presidential life.

A helicopter with former US president Joe Biden on board departs from the Capitol
Former president Joe Biden departed on a helicopter (Chris Kleponis/Pool Photo via AP)

Mr Trump’s inaugural address was just the beginning of the thoughts he shared on his second first day as president.

Mr Trump followed Mr Biden’s departure with extended and unscripted remarks to supporters in the Capitol that revisited a litany of conspiracy theories about voter fraud and criticisms of perceived enemies such as former Republican representative Liz Cheney, whom he called “a crying lunatic”.

He spoke for even longer than in his inaugural address, saying: “I think this is a better speech than the one I gave upstairs.”

Then he went to the Capital One Arena to begin signing executive orders as thousands of supporters cheered.

“We won, we won, but now the work begins,” Mr Trump said before a crowd of people in Make America Great Again hats.

He abandoned the more earnest tone of his inaugural address and taunted his predecessor while scrawling his name in thick black ink on his executive orders.

“Could you imagine Biden doing this?” he said. “I don’t think so!”

When finished, he tossed the pens into the crowd.

Mr Trump’s inauguration realised a political comeback without precedent in American history. Four years ago, he was voted out of the White House during an economic collapse caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Trump denied his defeat and tried to cling to power. He directed his supporters to march on the Capitol while members of Congress were certifying the election results, sparking a riot that interrupted the country’s tradition of the peaceful transfer of power.

But Mr Trump never lost his grip on the Republican Party and was undeterred by criminal cases and two assassination attempts as he steamrolled rivals and harnessed voters’ exasperation with inflation and illegal immigration.

Now Mr Trump is the first person convicted of a crime – for falsifying business records related to hush money payments – to serve as president. He pledged to “preserve, protect and defend” the constitution from the same spot that was overrun by his supporters on January 6.

“We all believe god’s hand has been on this man to be elected,” said Pam Pollard, 65, a long-time Republican official from Oklahoma, who came to Washington DC to see him sworn in.

Mr Trump has promised retribution against his political opponents and critics, and he has placed personal loyalty as a prime qualification for appointments to his administration.

With minutes to go before leaving office, Mr Biden issued pre-emptive pardons to his siblings and their spouses to shield them from the possibility of prosecution. He also pardoned current and former government officials who have been the target of Mr Trump’s anger. Mr Biden said “these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing”.

Mr Trump, talking to reporters in the Oval Office late in the day, criticised Mr Biden’s pardons, saying “that makes him look very guilty”.

A reporter asked Mr Trump if Mr Biden had left him a note in the desk, a tradition during presidential transitions. Mr Trump looked in a drawer and found an envelope.

“Maybe we should all read it together?” Mr Trump joked when holding it up for the cameras. But he did not open the envelope.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

The plane was forced to make an emergency landing

easyJet flight forced to make emergency landing after pilot collapses on board

Donald Trump has spoken to Vladimir Putin

Trump confirms he 'spoke to Putin about ending war in Ukraine' as Russian president 'wants to see people stop dying'

displaced Gazans walking toward Gaza City on January 27, 2025, after crossing the Netzarim corridor from the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli troops withdraw from key militarised corridor that splits Gaza in two as part of ceasefire deal

The bodies of Andrew Searle and his wife Dawn were discovered by a neighbour in Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, on Thursday afternoon.

Mysterious death of British couple in French villa suspected murder-suicide as investigators consider new theories

David Schwimmer has called for Elon Musk to ban Kanye West from X

Friends star David Schwimmer calls for Kanye West to be banned from X over 'hate-filled, ignorant' remarks

The NTSB recovers the debris of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk involved in a mid-air collision near DCA in Arlington, VA.

All major parts of DC plane and Black Hawk helicopter involved in mid-air collision recovered, investigators confirm

A Thai hostage who was freed from Hamas, Pongsak Thaenna, hugs a relative upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi International Airport

'We never gave up hope': Freed Thai hostages in tears of joy as they reunite with families after more than a year

'Make Europe Great Again' Rally In Madrid

'Make Europe Great Again': Far-right European political leaders praise Trump at Madrid meeting

Freed Palestinian prisoners are greeted by a crowd as they arrive in the Gaza Strip after being released from an Israeli prison following a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.

Emotional scenes in West Bank and Gaza as Palestinians reunited with their families after release from Israeli prisons

Israeli hostage reunited with his family.

Emotional moment Israeli hostages reunite with families after being paraded on stage by Hamas

Police officers hold back protesters trying to block the road at the rally.

Protesters clash with police as thousands rally outside proposed site for new Chinese ‘mega-embassy’ in London

Hollyoaks star and country singer thought to be son of British couple shot dead in French villa ‘by UK gangsters’

Hollyoaks star breaks silence over death of mum found dead in French villa with her husband

The Government has ordered Apple to allow it to access encrypted files uploaded to the cloud by any Apple user worldwide, it has been reported.

UK Government orders Apple to give it access to users’ encrypted data in 'unprecedented attack on privacy'

The wreckage of the small commuter plane that crashed in western Alaska has been found

Missing Alaska Bering Air plane found with all 10 people on board confirmed dead

Hollyoaks star and country singer thought to be son of British couple shot dead in French villa ‘by UK gangsters’

Hollyoaks star and country singer thought to be son of British couple shot dead in French villa ‘by UK gangsters’

Israeli hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami have been released

'We won't gloss over the shocking scenes', warns Netanyahu as three freed by Hamas paraded on stage