It’s official: Joe Biden is our nation’s 46th president

It’s official: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. is the 46^th president of the United States of America.

“Democracy has prevailed,” declared President Biden, shortly after he was sworn into office.

48 years after he entered Congress as the junior senator from Delaware, Biden ascended to the highest office in the nation.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office.

President-elect Joe Biden becomes President Biden just before noon Eastern time, taking the oath of office to becom… https://t.co/WnT5SCMcHc

— NPR (@NPR)
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Moments before, Kamala Harris made history when she was sworn into office as America’s first female, first Black and South Asian vice president.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first woman of color to sit on the Supreme Court, administered Vice President Harris’s oath.

At 78 years old, Biden is the oldest person to be sworn in as president. He was elected on a platform of unity, promising to restore the “soul of America.”

In President Biden’s first official address to the nation, he spoke about America’s legacy during these unprecedented times.

“We shall write an American story of hope, not fear. Of unity, not division, of light, not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness,” Biden said.

“May this be the story that guides us, the story that inspires us and the story that tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history, we met the moment, democracy and hope, truth and justice did not die on our watch, but thrived,” Biden said.

“Together, we shall write an American story. Of hope, not fear. Of unity, not division. Of light, not darkness.” -… https://t.co/eYSUjT4Ad3

— Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural)
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Speaking to those who didn’t vote for him, President Biden asked for a chance to prove himself.

“Take your measure of me and my heart,” he said. “If you still disagree, so be it. That’s democracy.”

President Biden also promised to fight for every citizen, even those who did not back his candidacy.

“I will be a president for all Americans, all Americans,” he said.

The inauguration ceremony featured performances from Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, and Garth Brooks.

Georgia firefighter Andrea Hall both spoke and signed the Pledge of Allegiance. Amanda Gorman became the youngest inaugural poet in history when she shared her work, “The Hill We Climb.”

There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face. That’s why today, I am heading to the Oval… https://t.co/hwlHgYCIze

— President Biden (@POTUS)
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President Biden plans to sign several executive orders from the Oval Office this afternoon, taking a series of actions on coronavirus, the environment, and immigration.

This is a developing story. Stay with Motherly for the very latest news on President Biden’s inauguration.