Pres. Obama was sworn in Monday at the country’s Capitol before a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people. Following the vice president’s ceremony, the president’s oath was commenced by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
Obama, in the presence of his wife and two daughters, pledged his loyalty to the country and his presidency using a Bible belonging to Pres. Abraham Lincoln and a second Bible used by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose remembrance day happened to fall on Monday.
The president’s speech followed, with mentions of the Declaration of Independence and issues he plans on addressing during his next four years. Climate change, equal pay for women, gay rights, immigration reform, and gun control were Obama’s main priorities.
As the country looked back at the first four years of Obama’s presidency, the president highlighted the progress the nation had made, mentioning the end of war in Iraq and an improved economy.
"Our journey is not complete," Obama stated. "We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate," he continued, urging the need for bipartisanship in Washington D.C.
Prior to his inauguration, the Obamas attended a church service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, a couple of blocks from the White House.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were among those at Pres. Obama’s inauguration, as well as performers Kelly Clarkson, James Taylor, Beyoncé, and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
The remainder of the day will consist of a traditional lunch on Capitol Hill, a parade down Washington’s Pennsylvania Avenue, and fancy inaugural balls later in the evening.
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