Trump announces slew of hardline executive actions on day one and attacks Biden over pre-emptive pardons – live | Donald Trump inauguration

The claim: Donald Trump, in his inaugural address, said he will issue an executive order to end the practice of “catch and release”.

The facts: Trump and his fellow Republicans have focused on what they call “catch and release”, but the term does not refer to one specific law or policy. The details of Trump’s order are unclear.

“Catch and release” is a pejorative term often used to refer to a clutch of policies over several administrations that adds up to detaining people while they wait for a court date instead of being at large.

The term originally became popular during the Bush administration to describe the practice of releasing immigrants from detention while they await immigration court proceedings, in part because there were not enough detention facilities to hold immigrants pending immigration court proceedings, according to NBC News. Immigration experts say that practice is no longer common.

A few minutes ago, congressional leaders gathered around a desk in the Capitol as Donald Trump signed paperwork that will formally put him in control of the executive branch.

Among the documents the president signed was one that made appointments to lead government agencies and departments, as well as a proclamation that says flags shall fly at full-staff on inauguration days. The US government continues to observe the 30-day mourning period following Jimmy Carter’s death, and flags would normally be at half-staff, but they were raised to full-staff for the day of Trump’s inauguration.

Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 47th president of the United States at an inauguration ceremony held in the Capitol due to the frigid weather today in Washington DC today. In his first speech since returning to the presidency, Trump declared that “the golden age of America begins right now”, and that he was “saved by God to make America great again”. He also outlined the executives orders he will sign shortly, which will impose hardline immigration policies and declare a “national energy emergency”. The president went on to hope he is remembered as a “peacemaker”, then made clear he wants the United States back in control of the Panama Canal. Joe Biden, meanwhile, made the most of his final hours as president, announcing preemptive pardons of several of Trump’s political enemies. Hours later, he commuted the life sentence of indigenous rights activist Leonard Peltier, and pardoned members of the Biden family who could have faced retaliation from Trump.

Here’s a look back at what else happened as Trump returned to the presidency:

• Trump took aim at Biden in his inaugural address, saying his government “cannot manage even a simple crisis at home”.

• The president’s inaugural address included several false or questionable claims about immigration, recent natural disasters, his support among voters and inflation.

• In unscripted remarks, Trump promised “a lot of actions” on January 6 defendants, and criticized Biden’s pardons.

• The White House, whose website that has been newly Trumpified, will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

• The Bidens departed the Capitol by helicopter after Trump’s inauguration, with Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff leaving in a motorcade.

Joanna Walters

JD Vance was sworn in as vice-president of the United States by US Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanagh, who was nominated by Donald Trump during his first administration and went through a tough confirmation hearing before his controversial appointment.

Vance’s beaming wife and young children are right next to him, as Trump looks on. Here’s the video clip.

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Joanna Walters

Here is a video clip of Donald Trump taking the oath of office.

The president was sworn in by the chief justice of the US supreme court, John Roberts, with Melania Trump, JD Vance, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris the closest onlookers amongst those gathered in the Capitol rotunda (where four years ago pro-Trump supporters rampaged after breaking into the Capitol to try to stop the certification of Biden’s victory over Trump in the 2020 election).

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Joan E Greve

In his inaugural address, Donald Trump reiterated his wish to rename Denali National Park in Alaska after the late US president William McKinley, but that idea has been soundly rejected by a prominent Republican senator.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican of Alaska, intensely campaigned to change the name of the mountain from Mount McKinley to Denali, which originates from the language of the Alaskan native Koyukon people.

Murkowski said in 2013, “I have nothing against President McKinley, whatsoever, but I would rather have this peak be called by the name it has gone by for centuries by Alaskans than a man who never set foot in our state.”

The change was made official in 2015, and Murkowski, who will provide a key vote to advance Trump’s legislative agenda in the Senate, has made clear that she has no interest in restoring the name of Mount McKinley.

“You can’t improve upon the name that Alaska’s Koyukon Athabascans bestowed on North America’s tallest peak, Denali – the Great One,” she said last month. “For years, I advocated in Congress to restore the rightful name for this majestic mountain to respect Alaska’s first people who have lived on these lands for thousands of years. This is an issue that should not be relitigated.”

Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) program was sued within minutes of Donald Trump being sworn in.

The 30-page lawsuit, obtained by The Washington Post, challenges the legality of the government advisory committee Trump claims he has created, by alleging it violates federal transparency rules on disclosure, hiring and other practices.

The public interest law firm National Security Counselors says in the claim that Musk’s efficiency panel meets the bar to be considered a “federal advisory committee”, a class of legal entity regulated to ensure the government receives transparent and balanced advice, but fails to have “fairly balanced” representation, keep records of its meetings and be open to public scrutiny, as required by law.

“All meetings of Doge, including those conducted through an electronic medium, must be open to the public”, the lawsuit states.

The anticipated legal challenges of the legitimacy of Doge have also been expected, including by Musk, who argues his opponents in government have used “lawfare” tactics to stymie him and his companies.

The precise nature of Musk’s efficiency project remains unknown, with insiders saying that secrecy is paramount to avoid legal efforts to derail it. Trump has said the effort will drive “drastic change”, though as an advisory committee it has no power to effect government cuts in its own right.

Donald Trump, who appears to be speaking without prepared remarks, is attacking Joe Biden’s decision announced earlier today to pardon the new president’s political enemies.

“I was going to talk about the things that Joe did today with the pardons of people that were very, very guilty of very bad crimes, like the unselect committee of political folks,” Trump said, referring to the bipartisan House committee that investigated the January 6 insurrection.

“Why are we doing this? Why are we trying to help a guy like Milley?” he continued, referring to the former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Mark Milley. “Why are we doing Milley? He was pardoned. What he said, terrible, what he said. Why are we helping some of the people? Why are we helping Liz Cheney? I mean, Liz Cheney is a disaster. She’s a crying lunatic and crying, crying. Adam Kinzinger, he’s a super crime.”

Cheney and Kinzinger are both Republican former House lawmakers who have criticized Trump.

The president also signaled he would pardon people convicted of or facing charges over the January 6 insurrection, though did not offer details: “I was going to talk about the J6 hostages, but you’ll be happy because, you know, it’s action, not words that count, and you’re going to see a lot of action on the J6 hostages.”

Donald Trump is set to appear before supporters gathered in an overflow room at the Capitol.

He was introduced by Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, who will play a major role in getting Trump’s legislative agenda through Congress. “We have the chance to make the next four years, the most consequential period in our nation’s history,” Johnson said

We’ll let you know what the new president has to say.

Joe and Jill Biden have boarded a helicopter at the US Capitol for their flight out of Washington DC, concluding their time in the presidency.

Donald and Melania Trump walked them to the helicopter. At its steps, Trump appeared to whisper some words into Biden’s ears.

Together with JD and Usha Vance, the president and first lady then waved goodbye to the outgoing Democrats.