Joe Biden has issued an appeal for decency and civility in a powerful first speech declaring: “Democracy has prevailed”.
The 46th President of the US looked forward and warned “toughest and deadliest period” of the virus may lie ahead.
Standing on the steps of the Capitol, attacked only two weeks ago by “domestic terrorists”, his key word was “unity”.
“My whole soul is in this - bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation. And I ask every American to join me in this cause,” he said.
“We can make America once again a leading force for good in the world.”
But plenty of his 21-minute inaugural address was also looking over his shoulder at Donald Trump - despite not speaking his predecessor’s name.
In a final rebuke to the toxic billionaire, he vowed to “defend the truth and defeat the lies”.
And he said: “We must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated - and even manufactured.”
In a powerful message to “One Nation”, he declared: “We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal.”
Here are the 9 key moments from the Democrat’s address - which show a dramatic departure from four years under Trump.
‘Democracy has prevailed’
The new President issued a direct rebuke to Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the election was stolen from him.
“Democracy is fragile, democracy is precious and at this hour my friends, democracy has prevailed,” he said.
“This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. A day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve.
“Through a crucible for the ages America has been tested anew and America has risen to the challenge.
“Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate but of a cause - the cause of democracy.
“The will of the people has been heard and the will of the people has been heeded.”
‘We must reject manufactured facts - and raging fire’
The President promised to “stop the shouting and lower the temperature - for without unity there is no peace, only bitterness and fury. No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only historic chaos.”
In a clear burial of Trump’s style he said: “Politics doesn’t have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path.
“Every disagreement doesn’t have to be a cause for total war.
“And we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated - and even manufactured.
“America has to be better than this, and I believe America is so much better than this.”
He went on: “There is truth and there are lies. Lies toll for power and for profit.
“Each of us has a duty and a responsibility as citizens, as Americans and especially as leaders… to defend the truth and defeat the lies.”
He quoted Abraham Lincoln, St Augustine and the Bible
When he was inaugurated four years ago Trump focused on his ‘America First’ nationalist rhetoric.
Biden drew on his Catholic faith to quote St Augustine and the Bible - as well as Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation.
Mimicking Lincoln, he said: “My whole soul is in this - bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation.
“And I ask every American to join me in this cause.”
The President promised he will be “thinking not of power but possibilities, not of personal interest but the public good”.
And quoting the Bible over Covid he said: “Weep, ye may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
The message of Christian goodness jars with scenes of Trump posing outside a church during protests against his rule.
In another Biblical-style message, Biden said: “There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days you will need a hand. There are other days when you’re called to lend a hand.”
‘Unity’
The President stretched the word ‘unity’ for all it had.
“I will be a President for all Americans - all Americans,” he said.
“And I promise you I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.”
Putting the emphasis on the word ‘United’, he said: “We must meet this moment as the United States of America.”
He vowed a reset of foreign relations
World leaders are looking forward to an end of the unpredictable, scattergun diplomacy of President Trump.
Biden promised: “We can make America once again a leading force for good in the world.”
He went on: “America has been tested and we’ve come out for it.
“We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again - not to meet yesterday’s challenges, but today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.
“And we’ll lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example. We’ll be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress and security.”
He vowed justice for Black Lives Matter
The President said the protests about race last year had been “a cry for racial justice 400 years in the making”.
“The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer,” he declared.
It’s a far cry from Trump’s repeated attacks on protesters and attempts to discredit them from his position of power.
And he vowed justice for the environment
After Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement, the inaugural speech had little hard policy but a clear direction.
“A cry for survival comes from planet itself,” he said.
“A cry that can't be any more desperate or any more clear."
He vowed not to let the Capitol attack go unpunished
Biden said he was on "hallowed ground, where just a few days ago violence sought to shake the Capitol's very foundation, we come together as one nation under God, indivisible, to carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries.'
And he said there was "now a rise of political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat.”
He added: "Here we stand just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground.
"It did not happen, it will never happen, not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Not ever."
He warned of more Covid pain to come
Trump was boastful about the pandemic to the bitter end, using his final speech to praise the “miracle” of science.
But Biden took a more mournful tone, bowing his head in prayer for more than 300,000 US victims of the pandemic.
Unlike Trump’s claims it would soon be over, Biden openly said: “We're entering what may be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus.”
He added: “We need all our strength to persevere through this dark winter…. We must set aside politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation, one nation.”
He said Covid “has taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War Two”. And he added: “Few people in our nation’s history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging than we are in now.”