Pledging emphatically to empower America's "forgotten men and women," Donald Trump
was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday, taking
command of a riven nation facing an unpredictable era under his
assertive but untested leadership.
Under cloudy, threatening skies at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, Trump painted a bleak picture of the America he now leads, declaring as he had throughout the election campaign that it is beset by crime, poverty and a lack of bold action. The billionaire businessman and reality television star — the first president who had never held political office or high military rank — promised to stir a "new national pride" and protect America from the "ravages" of countries he says have stolen U.S. jobs.