President Donald Trump had a busy first day in office, making his way through Washington, D.C., for the traditional ceremonies and hoping to make good on a litany of campaign promises with sweeping executive orders.

The 47th president was sworn into office around noon on Monday, with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts officiating. The moment was not without controversy, however, as Trump neglected to place his hand on the Bible for the oath, with some observers blaming Roberts for starting too early. Immediately prior, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh swore in JD Vance as vice president.

Trump then delivered his inaugural address, gave a second speech to supporters at the nearby arena, where he signed a number of border-related executive orders and issued several decrees on other matters. Earlier in the day, he attended a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church and met with now-former President Joe Biden at the White House.

 The day witnessed a quick turnover in presidential branding, with executive office social media accounts flipping to display Trump’s name, as well as the official White House webpage.

Though the swearing-in ceremony was somewhat unusual in that it marked the first time since 1985 that the inauguration had been held indoors, it was Trump’s executive orders that served as the defining actions of the day.

With the stroke of a pen

Trump had largely previewed many of his planned Executive Orders ahead of time, repeatedly pledging to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy and many of his other border-related policies from the first term.

His inaugural address, moreover, took aim at many of Biden’s policies, saying he had been elected to “totally reverse a horrible betrayal, and all of these many betrayals that have taken place and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed, their freedom.”

Not on the expected list of orders, was an edict to end political censorship and protect free speech, which he announced in the inaugural address.

Trump signed many of his executive orders at a post-inauguration event with supporters, placing his signature on the documents from an on-stage desk.

Others were expected, including the pardon of Jan. 6 participants, the end of electric vehicle mandates, and the authorization of deportation actions.

“First, I will declare a national Emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” he promised at the Capitol Rotunda. “We will reinstate my Remain in Mexico policy. I will end the practice of catch and release, and I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”

“Under the orders I signed today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations,” he went on. “And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to US soil, including our cities and inner cities.”

Urging unity

Speaking to the assembled dignitaries on Capitol Hill, Trump expressed hope that he would be remembered as a “peacemaker and a unifier.” He issued a note of thanks to the myriad minority groups that lined up behind him in record numbers, notably black and Hispanic Americans, noting that his inauguration coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day and vowing to build a “colorblind” system.

He concluded his speech with an appeal for Americans to work together to restore the nation’s prosperity and offered his own support as the country's citizens pursue that goal.

"I stand before you now as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do in America, the impossible is what we do best," he said. "From New York to Los Angeles, from Philadelphia to Phoenix, from Chicago to Miami, Houston to right here in Washington, DC, our country was forged and built by the generations of patriots who gave everything they had for our rights and for our freedom."

"After all, we have been through together, we stand on the verge of the four greatest years in American history," he vowed. "With your help, we will restore America's promise, and we will rebuild the nation that we love, and we love it so much. We are one people, one family and one glorious nation under God. So to every parent who dreams for their child, and every child who dreams for their future, I am with you."