Change of era with the arrival of Biden

Barely out of office, Joe Biden set about deconstructing Donald Trump's legacy, promising the return of truth and "defeating white supremacism and domestic terrorism.

AFP PHOTO

"All my soul is invested in this task, to bring America together, to unite our people, to unite our nation. For without unity there is no peace, only resentment and anger.... This is a historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the way forward," said the new and 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, during his smooth, high-security inaugural address in Washington on Wednesday.

Two weeks to the day after the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill that killed five people, the new head of state sent a unifying message to American citizens that democracy had won.  

"I will be the president of all Americans. All Americans. And I promise you that I will fight for those who have supported me as much as those who have not," he said, before a crowd replaced by thousands of flags on the National Mall and guests masked six feet apart.

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Peace and Truth

For the Raoul-Dadurand Chair researcher Julie-Pier Nadeau at the U.S. Observatory of the Raoul-Dadurand Chair Julie-Pier Nadeau, the Democratic president clearly shows his intention to ease tensions, because he knows that he is the target of the far-right's grumbling.

"He is trying to calm the game and bring the Americans, who may be in a bubble and who do not believe in his election, back to the truth," says Nadeau.

Because in addition to unity, Biden also wants to bring the "truth" back into the political debates.

"It's a point made to [former] President Donald Trump, but it's also a promise to the American people, a hope that people will agree on a number of facts. It's probably the first way he can try to counter the whole extremist fringe," she says, adding that it will be a long-term effort.

Already at work

The new U.S. President, Joe Biden, led a virtual ceremony on Zoom late Wednesday for the swearing-in of members of his administration in the White House dining room.

Joe Biden did not hesitate to get to work on his first day behind the Oval Office, which sets the tone, according to Nadeau.

The Democrat decided to begin his term by signing a series of 17 executive orders, such as the return to the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord.

French President Emmanuel Macron did not hesitate to highlight this event by posting a "Welcome back" on Twitter.

Biden also cancelled the Keystone XL oil pipeline project.

"The [Keystone XL] file has long been a sticking point with Canada. It could put pressure on the Canadian government," says Nadeau.

No more showboating

For Rafael Jacob, researcher at the Raoul-Dandurand Chair, this really marks a new era and a break with the former president, who did not attend the inauguration.

"It won't be a Trump presidency kind of show, but for those who think it's going to be flat and boring, don't be mistaken, we're going to see an extremely interesting presidency in the United States," he thinks.

SOME OF THE 17 DECREES SIGNED ON WEDNESDAY EVENING   

• Return of the United States to the World Health Organization. Dr. Anthony Fauci becomes head of the delegation to the WHO.  
• Return to the Paris Climate Agreement.  
• Cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline.   
• Restrictions on entry into the United States for passport holders from seven Muslim-majority countries are lifted.  
• Construction of the border wall with Mexico is halted by ending the declaration of national emergency used to finance it.  
• Challenge Americans to wear masks for 100 days.