Biden takes office promising to adopt a collegiate approach to both foreign and domestic affairs

NEW US President Joe Biden has promised to return to a multilateral approach to international affairs that will involve Washington adopting a collegiate approach to global matter in contrast to the unilateralist approach of the trump administration.

This afternoon, Mr Biden was sworn-in as the 46th US president, as was his vice president Kamala Harris in the steps of the Capitol Hill building, which houses the US Congress. On January 6, the building was besieged by supporters of former president Donald Trump, who tried to prevent the results of the November elections being ratified.

Whipped up by President Trump, rightwing unilateralists sought to disrupt Congress ratifying the election results, in what has been described as a coup. A nationalist and unilateralist, President Trump had adopted an America Alone policy to foreign affairs, withdrawing from the World Health Organisation and pulling out of the Paris Climate Protocol.

In his inaugural address after taking the oath of office, President Biden said he will run an inclusive government both domestically and internationally. He declared that democracy has prevailed after a chaotic transition during which President Trump denied his election win and never congratulated him.

President Biden said: The will of the people has been heard and the will of the people has been heeded. We’ve learned again that democracy’s precious and democracy’s fragile but at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.

“This is America’s day, a day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve, for crucible for the ages America has tested anew and America has risen to the challenge. Today we celebrate not a candidate but a cause, the cause of democracy.”

In his speech, he thanked his predecessors of both parties for being at his swearing-in. Former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George Bush attended the event, making President Trump’s absence even more notable.

President Trump skipped the event, flying to his golf resort Mar-a-Lago in Florida after organising his own pep rally send-off at Saint Andrews Air Force Base in Virginia. At the event, he told his supporters and family members to have a good life, promising them that he will see them soon.

“Now on this hallowed ground where just a few days ago violence sought to shake the capital’s very foundation, we come together under one nation, under god, indivisible, to transfer the peaceful power as we have for two centuries,” President Biden added.