Inaugural Addresses: Joe Biden
On January 20, 2021, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. took the oath of office to become the 46th President of the United States. His inaugural address was 21 minutes long, and 2,535 words long. In the speech Biden sought to present his vision on how to unite the nation, noting the problems presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, economic strife, climate change, political polarization, and racial injustice. Biden composed the speech with the assistance of speechwriter Vinay Reddy, senior advisor Mike Donilon, incoming Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and chief of staff Ron Klain. The New York Times described the speech as a "direct rebuttal" in tone to Donald Trump's inaugural address of 2017 (in which Trump spoke of "American carnage"). Biden called for an end to the "uncivil war" of political, demographic, and ideological American cultures through a greater embrace of diversity, whereupon Americans must "open our souls instead of hardening our hearts".
In the speech, Biden pledged to "fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did". He explicitly spoke out against white supremacy and nativism, calling them an "ugly reality" of American life that clouds the "American ideal" set out in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, that all Americans are equal. He also discussed the historical significance of Kamala Harris becoming the vice president recounting the movements for civil rights and women's suffrage that permitted African Americans and women to participate in politics.
Biden began by calling the day of his inauguration "democracy’s day; a day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve." He went on to state that the nation "has been tested anew and America has risen to the challenge." He said that this was not his personal triumph, but rather a triumph of "the cause of democracy." He went on to talk about the fragility of democracy, but added that it had withstood recent tests of its resilience. He said: "So now, on this hallowed ground where just days ago violence sought to shake this Capitol’s very foundation, we come together as one nation, under God, indivisible, to carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries. We look ahead in our uniquely American way - restless, bold, optimistic - and set our sights on the nation we know we can be and we must be."
Biden said of his country, "This is a great nation and we are a good people. Over the centuries through storm and strife, in peace and in war, we have come so far. But we still have far to go." He went on to describe the recent challenges that the nation had faced:
"Few periods in our nation’s history have been more challenging or difficult than the one we’re in now. A once-in-a-century virus silently stalks the country. It’s taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War Two. Millions of jobs have been lost. Hundreds of thousands of businesses closed. A cry for racial justice some 400 years in the making moves us. The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer. A cry for survival comes from the planet itself. A cry that can’t be any more desperate or any more clear. And now, a rise in political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat. To overcome these challenges - to restore the soul and to secure the future of America - requires more than words. It requires that most elusive of things in a democracy: Unity."
Biden referenced Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation and how Lincoln had said "My whole soul is in it." He used this as a springboard for setting out his goals:
"Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together; Uniting our people; And uniting our nation. I ask every American to join me in this cause. Uniting to fight the common foes we face: anger, resentment, hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness, hopelessness. With unity we can do great things. Important things. We can right wrongs. We can put people to work in good jobs. We can teach our children in safe schools. We can overcome this deadly virus. We can reward work, rebuild the middle class, and make health care secure for all. We can deliver racial justice. We can make America, once again, the leading force for good in the world."
He went on to address skepticism about these goals, adding that facing daunting challenges was not something new for Americans:
"I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy. I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh, ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, and demonization have long torn us apart. The battle is perennial. Victory is never assured. Through the Civil War, the Great Depression, World War, 9/11, through struggle, sacrifice, and setbacks, our 'better angels' have always prevailed. In each of these moments, enough of us came together to carry all of us forward. And, we can do so now.
"History, faith, and reason show the way, the way of unity. We can see each other not as adversaries but as neighbors. We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting, and lower the temperature. For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury. No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward."
Biden called for civility in the face of political polarization. He said:
"Let us listen to one another, hear one another, see one another, show respect to one another. Politics need not be a raging fire destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn’t have to be a cause for total war. And, we must reject a culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured. My fellow Americans, we have to be different than this. America has to be better than this. And, I believe America is better than this."
Biden referenced past historic events such as the building of the Capitol dome during the Civil War, Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, and Woodrow Wilson's inauguration where "thousands of protestors tried to block brave women from marching for the right to vote" and contrasted that with the swearing-in of Kamala Harris, the first woman elected to national office, adding, "Don’t tell me things can’t change." He then added:
"Here we stand across the Potomac from Arlington National Cemetery, where heroes who gave the last full measure of devotion rest in eternal peace. And here we stand, just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, and to drive us from this sacred ground. That did not happen. It will never happen; not today, not tomorrow, not ever."
Biden thanked those who had supported him and asked those who hadn't to "hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart. And if you still disagree, so be it. That’s democracy. That’s America. The right to dissent peaceably, within the guardrails of our Republic, is perhaps our nation’s greatest strength." He later added: "I pledge this to you: I will be a president for all Americans. I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did."
Biden defined "the common objects we love that define us as Americans" as including opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honor and the truth. Of the latter, he said:
"Recent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies. Lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and responsibility, as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders - leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation - to defend the truth and to defeat the lies."
He next addressed some of the fears that Americans had and how this fueled their frustration and polarized them. He said:
"I understand that many Americans view the future with some fear and trepidation. I understand they worry about their jobs, about taking care of their families, about what comes next. I get it. But the answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who don’t look like you do, or worship the way you do, or don’t get their news from the same sources you do. We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts; if we show a little tolerance and humility; if we’re willing to stand in the other person’s shoes just for a moment. Because here is the thing about life: There is no accounting for what fate will deal you. There are some days when we need a hand. There are other days when we’re called on to lend one. That is how we must be with one another. And, if we are this way, our country will be stronger, more prosperous, more ready for the future.
Biden predicted that Americans were "entering what may well be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus" and called for them to "set aside the politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation." He followed with a biblical quotation: "as the Bible says weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning." He added, "We will get through this, together."
He promised to repair damaged alliances with other nations, and to "lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example." He added that America would be "a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress, and security." He asked as his first act as president, for all to join him in a moment of silent prayer to remember all those lost this past year to the pandemic. He called this "a time of testing" listing the challenges facing the nation as an attack on democracy and on truth, a raging virus, growing inequity, systemic racism, and a climate in crisis. He called this a time for boldness and said that Americans would be judged by how the nation resolved these many crises. He concluded by quoting a verse from the song "American Anthem". He then added this promise:
"My fellow Americans, I close today where I began, with a sacred oath. Before God and all of you I give you my word. I will always level with you. I will defend the Constitution. I will defend our democracy. I will defend America. I will give my all in your service thinking not of power, but of possibilities. Not of personal interest, but of the public good. And together, we shall write an American story of hope, not fear. Of unity, not division. Of light, not darkness. An American story of decency and dignity. Of love and of healing. Of greatness and of goodness. May this be the story that guides us. The story that inspires us.The story that tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history. We met the moment. That democracy and hope, truth and justice, did not die on our watch but thrived. That our America secured liberty at home and stood once again as a beacon to the world. That is what we owe our forebearers, one another, and generations to follow. So, with purpose and resolve we turn to the tasks of our time. Sustained by faith. Driven by conviction. And, devoted to one another and to this country we love with all our hearts. May God bless America and may God protect our troops. Thank you, America."