On January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump took the oath of office of President of the United States.

On stage, Trump stood and, surrounded by friends, family, and dignitaries including former president George. W. Bush and outgoing president Barack Obama, placed his left hand on two Bibles, the Lincoln Bible and a Bible of his own, raised his right hand, repeated the words of Chief Justice John Roberts, and thus became the nation’s 45th President.

Like his campaign for the office, significant controversy surrounded President Trump’s inauguration. Ranging from prominent Democrats choosing not to attend his inauguration to the multiple protests that took place before, during and after his taking the oath of office, Washington, DC was a place of both celebration and conflict.
While a number of local and national news organizations reported the event’s attendance to be significantly smaller than the crowds at other inaugurations, particularly Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009, the Trump team was adamant that media outlets purposely misrepresented the turnout. Many news networks did a side-to-side comparison with the inauguration of President Obama in 2009 and the January 20th crowd, which showed a clear difference in the crowd size.

As the event began, the man of the hour, Donald Trump, came to the stage escorted by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Senator Roy Blunt gave opening remarks, quoting past inaugural addresses of presidents Lincoln, Kennedy and Jefferson. Blunt stated that the inauguration is “a national moment of celebration, but not a celebration of victory– a celebration of Democracy.”

Following Blunt, religious leaders Archbishop Timothy Michael, Cardinal Dolan, Reverend Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, and Pastor Paula White-Cain spoke to the crowd. They recited verses from the Bible that expressed an overall theme of peace and hope for Trump’s presidency, with Archbishop Dolan quoting King Solomon’s prayer from the Book of Wisdom. Archbishop Dolan stated, “In your providence have charged us to rule the creatures produced by you, to govern the world in holiness and righteousness, and to render judgment with integrity of heart.” Following the religious leaders, the Missouri State University choir performed a brief song.

Before Trump took his oath, Justice Clarence Thomas gave the oath of office to Vice President Mike Pence. Pence used the Bible of Ronald Reagan, a man whom Pence has praised on multiple occasions. Pence and his family were visibly excited as they were standing in a light rain.

As Trump took to the front of the stage to join Chief Justice Roberts to take the oath, his large family, including wife Melania and young son Barron, stood by his side. Trump kept a straight face throughout the ceremony, showing just how seriously he took the event.

Following his swearing in, newly minted President Trump addressed the nation in a speech that received significant attention from both critics and admirers. Trump, focusing on a rallying cry of his campaign, told the nation, “Today, we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. to you the people.”

He spoke about a corrupt education system, crime, gangs and drugs, and he stated that it would all stop “right here and right now.” He then said that his inauguration signals the end of what he called the “American carnage” the nation has experienced, and mentioned how the nation spends trillions overseas while its own infrastructure needs help. On an even more serious note, Trump stated, “We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones — and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.”

While supporters found positives in Trump’s speech, critics were quick to call into question the speech’s tenor, which greatly deviated from that of recent inaugural speeches. Trump’s speech, according to critics, failed to unite the nation and, instead, furthered an already fractured populous. Supporters lauded Trump’s leadership and candor.

President Trump’s inauguration is one that the nation will remember for years to come, whether it is for the divisiveness that came along with it, the debate about the true number of people who showed up, or the political demonstrations that followed.