1. The country got a better idea of what Trump will focus on.

Trump said he would quickly sign executive orders related to deportations, energy, tariffs and more. He said he would declare a "national emergency at our southern border," halting immigration and deporting "criminal immigrants."

2. There was a lot he didn't talk about in his formal address, notably Jan. 6 and his promises of political retribution — but he did later.

In the lead up to the election, Trump promised political retribution against many of his critics. But it was – and remains – unclear how far he will go and how, if or when he will follow through.

3. Trump delivered sharp criticism of the outgoing administration, right in front of Biden and Vice President Harris.

Despite pledging in his inaugural address to be a "peacemaker and unifier" — and saying that's what he wants his legacy to be — with Biden looking on, Trump bitingly claimed that the government cannot manage simple domestic crises "while at the same time stumbling into a continuing catalog of catastrophic events abroad."

4. Democrats tried to show respect for the office and the peaceful transfer of power, but they couldn't all hold back their reactions at some more eye-opening moments.

Despite Trump falsely claiming to have won the 2020 election, despite Jan. 6 and despite Biden repeatedly calling him a threat to democracy, Biden and Democratic officials participated in the inauguration ceremonies as an endorsement of the peaceful transfer of power.

Credit: https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/g-s1-43759/trump-inaugural-address-key-moments