Trump’s inauguration foreshadows a term of bombast, threats and rule for billionaires, observes Terina Hine

Trump’s second term in office has begun. He is returning to the White House six months after a criminal conviction with a clear electoral victory, surrounded by loyalists. All dissenting Republicans are gone and he has control of both houses. Trump is more powerful than ever.

His inauguration revealed much about the political trajectory of the new administration. Trump ripped up the rules, inviting heads of state and governments, the tech-bro oligarchy and a rogues’ gallery of far-right politicians.

The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni was the only European leader to actually attend; Viktor Orbán stayed away, as did the disappointed former Brazilian President Bolsonaro, unable to go because his passport has been revoked. Argentina’s Javier Milei was present.

Éric Zemmour, the French far-right politician whose party holds zero seats in the National Assembly, was in attendance (although Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella failed to make the guest list) as was German AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla and Spain’s ultranationalist Vox party leader Santiago Abascal. From the UK, there was Nigel Farage, Priti Patel, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Suella Braverman and Laurence Fox. The UK ambassador to the US was the official government representative.

At Sunday evening’s pre-inauguration victory rally, Trump promised that once sworn in he would act ‘with historic speed of strength’ to fix the multiple crises facing the US. He also took credit for restoring TikTok – which went dark on Sunday – no doubt keeping one inauguration guest happy, TikTok boss, Shou Chew.

Former strategist Steve Bannon predicted Trump’s second term will begin with ‘days of thunder’, while the new head of border control told the American public to prepare for ‘shock and awe’. Fox News predicted there would be as many as 200 executive orders signed in the first 24 hours. Unprecedented for a new president.

In his inauguration speech, Trump claimed a new ‘golden age’ for America was beginning, he promised to reverse the ‘horrible betrayal’ of the Biden years, ripping into his predecessor’s record, criticising the ‘electric-vehicle mandate’ and declared a national energy emergency promising to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord: ‘drill, baby, drill’. He also signed an order withdrawing the US from the World Health Organisation.

The first act expected to follow the inauguration is the launch of a huge immigration raid, supposedly starting in Chicago, bringing forth the ‘largest domestic deportation operation in American history,’ as promised during his campaign. He vowed to end birthright citizenship, declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, and ordered the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the ‘Gulf of America’.

He said his proudest legacy would be ‘that of a peacemaker and a unifier’ although there was little to indicate he would unify the deeply divided country and no reference at all to his campaign promise of ending the Ukraine war in 24 hours. Furthermore, among the 1,500 people pardoned for their role in the Capitol riot of 6 January 2021 were fourteen members of far-right groups like the Proud Boys. Meanwhile, Elon Musk appeared to give a Nazi salute twice during his speech at the Capitol One Arena. So that’s the kind of ‘unifying’ we can expect?

Biden’s farewell address warned of an incoming ‘oligarchy’ that threatens America’s democracy. The anticipated make up of Trump’s administration gives some credence to this warning. The twenty-first century barons of Silicon Valley are fully behind the new president, as their presence at the inauguration confirmed.

Wealth and power, always closely linked in the US government, is off the scale under this administration  – set to include thirteen billionaires at the last count. The treasury department is expected to be led by a billionaire banker, and Trump’s cabinet is worth at least $7bn – double that of his previous administration and sixty times more than Biden’s.

The secret service must have breathed a sigh of relief when the ceremony was moved inside the Capitol Rotunda – the same room Trump’s supporters stormed four years ago – with just a few hundred in the audience. Less so when the new president goes to the Capitol One Arena to address 20,000 Maga supporters. CNN reported that Trump intends to sign some executive orders at the Arena in front of the crowds.

The Maga crowd have been denied a traditional victory parade  – cancelled due to the -6^o temperatures – but thousands still set out to Washington D.C. to mill about the city’s cafes and bars. Of course, there were protests too, and have been over the previous few days, but nothing like on the scale witnessed in 2017.

Trump’s reincarnation as president was almost unimaginable after his defeat in 2020; how many people really believed he would be back, especially after the 6 January storming of the Capitol? Yet back he is. Thanks to Biden’s disastrous term and the Democrats’ inability to address the needs of working-class Americans, Trump’s second coming is here.

Millions across America may be cheering, but an almost equal number will be anxiously awaiting what comes next. The one thing of which we can be sure: whatever the rhetoric, Trump 2.0 will not be acting in the interest of the working class.