JoeBiden was on Wednesday noon sworn-in as President of the United States.
At age 78, Biden is the oldest US President to beinaugurated. Light snow flurries dusted parts of the city on a historic morningbefore Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn in.
"Here we stand, just days after a riotous mobthought they could use violence to silence the will of the people," Bidensaid. "To stop the work of our democracy. To drive us from this sacredground. It did not happen. It will never happen. Not today, not tomorrow. Notever. Not ever."
Biden was referring to a pro-Donald Trump mob whichstormed the US Capitol on January 6, in a violent bid to overturn the 2020election results.
"We have much to do in this winter of peril, andsignificant possibilities: much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, muchto build and much to gain," Biden said, hitting optimistic notes ahead ofa busy day that is expected to see a rash of executive orders.
Moments earlier, bookended by powerful performances fromLady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez, Kamala Harris was sworn in as America'sfirst-ever woman Vice President, shortly before 11.45 a.m. at the US Capitol inWashington DC.
Harris is now the highest-ranking woman ever to serve inAmerican government. Harris has shattered the barrier that has kept women fromthe highest rungs of power in the US for more than 200 years. She was sworn inby Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court.After taking the oath of office, a beaming Harris hugged her husband, DouglasEmhoff, and gave President Biden a fist bump.