Taking oath as the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump said the “golden age” of America has begun and the country will be the envy of every nation. 

In a message of hope interspersed with digs at the outgoing government led by Joe Biden, the Republican, who won a historic mandate in November despite losing in 2020, referred to the assassination attempt on him in Pennsylvania in July and said he was “saved by God to make America great again”.

He also received standing ovations when he declared that he would announce a “national emergency” at the southern border in Mexico and a “national energy emergency” that would allow oil extractors to “drill, baby drill” – issues that had been key campaign pitches and resonated with his ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) supporters.