[imagesource: Reuters]

A solitary tear of joy escaped my eye as President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris were inaugurated yesterday.

After the circus that was the Trump administration and the most stressful American election of all time, the feeling of relief was overwhelming.

As a friend of mine put it, while listening to Biden’s first speech in office: “He had me at full sentences”.

President Biden’s speech was one of unity. He did, however, throw a little low-key shade at the outgoing administration.

Via The Telegraph’s transcription, my favourite subtle dig included one at Donald Trump’s rocky relationship with the truth and reality.

“There is truth and there are lies. Lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and a responsibility as citizens as Americans and especially as leaders. Leaders who are pledged to honour our Constitution to protect our nation. To defend the truth and defeat the lies.”

According to The Fact Checker’s database, as of January 20, 2021, over his four years in office, Trump made 30 573 false or misleading claims.

You can check out Trump’s final pre-recorded message as president for a few last ‘Trumpisms’, to round it all off.

But that, friends, is hopefully behind us now, at least when it comes to the presidency. That country still has a lot of work to do, or as Biden put it:

“We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, 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 a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge. And unity is the path forward. And we must meet this moment as the United States of America.”

If you’re not keen on watching the video, you can read the speech in full here.

Otherwise, take it in:

Congratulations, Mr President.

[source:telegraph]