Joe Biden sworn in as 46th US president, taking helm of embattled & divided nation
SMA NEWS – WASHINGTON
Former senator and vice president Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States of America, taking the reins of a deeply divided nation striving to preserve its superpower status.
Biden has been sworn in by US Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. At 78, he is the oldest individual to take the highest office in the US, superseding his predecessor, Donald Trump, who was 70 when he became the president.
Some people wonder what the balance of power between him and his running mate, Kamala Harris, will be. The first-ever woman to be elected US vice president would take Biden’s office. Some believe she would be the real power in his administration, with Biden playing a placeholder role.
The ceremony was attended by key Republican figures, including Vice President Mike Pence, but Trump was notably absent, after repeatedly insisting that the victory in the presidential election was stolen from him. The Republican’s term ended in unsuccessful attempts to negate Biden’s victory, culminating in a riot of his supporters on the day that the US Congress was counting electoral votes cast for the Democrat. Trump’s alleged role in inciting the riot resulted in his second impeachment, which the US Senate refused to consider for a possible conviction.
