President Donald Trump has proclaimed "America's decline is over" as he vowed to act swiftly through sweeping executive action, including declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border.
In his inaugural address, Trump said he is "confident and optimistic" as he returns to the White House with "a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal," referring to the last four years under his predecessor Joe Biden.
Following the ceremonial peaceful transfer of power, Trump said he planned to sign a series of executive orders to crack down on the border, boost domestic energy and end government-mandated diversity programmes.
"The golden age of America begins right now," he said from the US Capitol Rotunda, where the ceremony had been moved due to the freezing temperatures outside.
Trump outlined a number of steps he plans to immediately take, including sending troops to the border, declaring some gangs and drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and re-instating the controversial Remain in Mexico that requires that migrants wait for their asylum proceedings on the Mexican side of the border.
"All illegal entry will immediately be halted," he said, adding that his administration will "begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came."
"I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions," Trump added.
