On Wednesday, Joseph Robinette ('Joe') Biden took over as the 46th President of the United States ending Donald Trump's tumultuous four-year reign.
Ahead of his swearing-in outgoing president Trump left the White House wishing Biden and his government 'great success'. Not since another impeached president, Andrew Johnson, in 1869 has a US president skipped his successor's inauguration in such a manner.
The inauguration comes on a day when the US coronavirus death toll crossed the grim 4,00,000-mark on Tuesday during Trump's last hours in office.
Along with President Trump, 4,000 political appointees hired by his administration will lose their jobs. They will be replaced by individuals Biden's team hires, but the entire process will take its own sweet time.
With the swearing-in being in the midst of a raging pandemic in USA, there will also be a deep cleaning of the White House, signalling also a fresher-than-usual start in more ways than one.
The big updates from Inauguration Day:
Inaguration ceremony begins
Joe Biden is seated on the stage and Chief Justice John Roberts will administer his vote of office. Kamala Harris will be sworn in by Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic Justice in the court’s history.
Biden speech highlights:
As soon as the Biden completed his oath, #NotmyPresident started trending on Twitter. However, Twitter also made its' transition of power on the platform simulataneously.
Message by Indian PM Narendra Modi: My warmest congratulations to @JoeBiden on his assumption of office as President of the United States of America. I look forward to working with him to strengthen India-US strategic partnership.
(With AP/CNN inputs)