Inauguration Day 2021: Obama, Bush and Clinton give message to Biden as Oval Office gets a revamp
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Your support makes all the difference.Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton spoke in a taped message during the Celebrating America concert.
“Joe, I'm proud of you,” said Mr Biden’s former boss, Barack Obama.
Mr Biden called for American unity as he spoke at the Lincoln Memorial during a celebration concert.
“It is humbling to stand here in this place in front of these sacred words. Humbling out of respect to President Lincoln and the office we now share and humbling because of you, the American people," he said at the Celebrating America event.
“As I said earlier today, we have learned again that democracy is precious and because of you democracy has prevailed."
His speech came after the Senate confirmed his first cabinet nomination of Avril Haines for director of national intelligence.
Earlier he got to work at the Oval Office of the White House by signing several executive orders after being sworn in as the 46th president of the United States.
The first order he signed was a federal mask mandate, which would require the face shield on federal property and during interstate travel. His other two executive orders involved revoking Donald Trump’s Muslim travel ban and rejoining the Paris Climate Accords.
Vice President Kamala Harris also got straight to work on Wednesday after she was sworn in. She went to the Senate for the swearing in of three Democratic senators.
This all comes after a day filled with inauguration-related events, including Mr Biden and Ms Harris traveling to Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W Bush, and Barack Obama were all in attendance for the events.
Mr Trump, in comparison, broke precedent and left the White House for Mar-a-Lago in Florida without attending the inauguration. The one tradition Mr Trump did participate in was writing a letter to his successor, which was left in a drawer of the Resolute Desk. Mr Biden did not reveal the contents of the letter, but he did say it was "very generous”.
Biden replaces portrait of Andrew Jackson with Ben Franklin
The president’s team went to work to quickly make the Oval Office suitable for the new president with a string of new paintings and busts.
Donald Trump frequently identified with Jackson, the seventh president, who was elected on a populist agenda and attacked entrenched interests.
But Jackson was also active in the slave trade and carried out brutal policies against indigenous people and was swiftly removed.
The Oval Office now also has busts of Martin Luther King Jr, Robert F Kennedy, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as labour leader Cesar Chavez.
Reverend William Barber to give inaugural prayer service
The North Carolina minister says that his service at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday will focus on “revival and renewal.”
“What I want to suggest tomorrow is what a day it would be if we come out of this greed with more grace,” Rev Barber said on CNN.
“What a day it would be. We come out of all this hate and lies with more love and truth. "
"What if we come out and we pass a full Covid relief and what with lift 140 million poor and low-wealth before Covid and millions after out of poverty and low-wealth.
"What if we raised the minimum wage? What if we renew the Voting Rights Act?"
Three ex-presidents wish Joe Biden success in White House.
Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton spoke in a taped message during the Celebrating America concert.
“Joe, I'm proud of you.,” said Mr Biden’s former boss, Barack Obama.
"You and Kamala need to know that you've got all of us here rooting for your success, keeping you in our prayers, and we will be available in any ways we can as citizens to help you guide our country forward. We wish you Godspeed."
Mr Clinton urged Americans to come together now Mr Biden was in office.
“It's a new beginning. Everybody needs to get off their high horse and reach out to their friends and neighbors and try to make it possible,” added Mr Clinton.
“The fact that the three of us are standing here talking about a peaceful transfer of power speaks to the institutional integrity of our country,” said Mr Bush.
"Mr. President, I'm pulling for your success. Your success is our country's success and God bless you."
Jill Biden tweets video of White House arrival in first post as first lady
Dr Biden took to Twitter and posted the video of her and the new president arriving at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on her new @FLOTUS account.
“Thank you for your faith in something that is bigger than all of us: that we will build a better world because we’re going to do it together,” said Dr Biden.
Lt Col Alexander Vindman raises a glass to Joe Biden
Lt Col Vindman was a key witness in Donald Trump's impeachment inquiry, and retired from the military after 21 years citing political retaliation from the former president and his allies.
His wife, Rachel Vindman, took to Twitter to post a picture of him and his family drinking champagne and toasting "democracy."
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