President Donald Trump had his second inauguration Jan. 20 and seems to be the most recent topic of conversation. Despite the four-year gap after losing to Joe Biden in 2020, Trump has found a way to make it back up to the top. Seeing as things can change within such a short amount of time, it is vital that we compare his first inauguration to his second.
After being elected as president in November 2016, Trump was sworn in at the 2017 United States Presidential Inauguration. He took the stage at the West Front of the Capitol after shaking hands with fellow political figures and pictures with his family. We saw military and Cabinet members seated in the front, unlike his inauguration this year with tech CEOs in front of the political appointees. Many believed it was a controversial seating chart when they noticed billionaires like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerburg in the front row.
In 2017, Trump has his left hand on the Bible as he lifted his right hand to take the oath of office during the swearing-in ceremony. But on Jan. 20, he held his right hand up and his left hand to his side instead of on the Bible. This shocked a good deal of voters, considering that a majority of his supporters made their voting decision based on their religious values. While it is not a legal requirement, most still have questions considering how the Bible is a traditional component during the ceremony.
During this year’s inauguration, after the ceremony, Trump delivered a speech to the people of America in which he promised to put America first and stop the violence throughout the nation. Following that, he signed official documents in the Oval Office and several executive orders. These included curtailing immigration at the southern borders, attempts to end birthright citizenship and multiple pardons of convicted Jan. 6 rioters. While most individuals on the right were satisfied when watching him sign such papers, opponents on the left found some of them thoughtless and believed he was rushing through the signings.
There was one specific moment that seems to have taken the world aback: Elon Musk’s post inauguration speech. After running on stage while pumping his fists in excitement, he starts his speech by talking about victory and the importance of this election. The part that surprised people was his hand gesture that resembles a certain salute, performed twice. He put his hand on his chest and extended his right arm diagonally into the air towards the crowd, a motion very similar to the Nazi salute. Even though there have been excuses made for him stating that it was a Roman salute or a wave, the vast majority of viewers believe it was in fact the symbol we all assume it was.
When realizing these comparisons, one must also acknowledge the impact of power. It is possible to abuse a platform to manipulate the nation and levels of power. The media is not always the best when it comes to holding individuals accountable for their mistakes. We should encourage the world to use our voices. Everyone has the ability to say something for change and exchange ideas. It is time we get loud and stand up for what we believe in.
