In his Inaugural Address on Monday, President Donald Trump dubbed Jan. 20 "Liberation Day" from the Biden regime. "After all we have been together, we stand on the verge of the four greatest years in American history," he said from the Capitol rotunda.
In his speech, Trump laid out his vision for the next four years—and, at times, savaged the liberal leaders who sat behind him as he spoke. Whether he achieves his lofty goals remains to be seen. But it's clear, our Andrew Stiles writes, that the 45th-turned-47th president is entering the Oval Office with an "optimistic vision for the country's future," vowing to "restore the ambition, strength, and sense of adventure that make America exceptional. Naturally, the New York Times described the speech as 'grim.'"
Trump outlined a number of the executive actions he planned to sign Monday afternoon during a special ceremony at the Capital One Arena. The majority would address the illegal immigration crisis at the southern border. A national emergency would soon be declared, and American troops deployed to "repel the disastrous invasion of our country." Mexican drug cartels would be designated as "foreign terrorist organizations."
The incoming administration, Trump said, would begin at once to roll back government censorship and "bring back free speech to America," and put a stop to all programs designed to "socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life" in order to promote a "colorblind and merit-based" society while striving to realize the dream articulated by Martin Luther King Jr. Trump declared that government policy would henceforth reflect the fact that "there are only two genders: male and female."
Trump promised to deliver "a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent, and totally unpredictable" and said the nation was "rapidly unifying" behind his agenda, as evidenced by the "dramatic increases in support from virtually every element of our society."
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris looked on as Trump delivered those lines "but did not join in the numerous standing ovations throughout the address." Still, at least one prominent Democrat seems hopeful: Nancy Pelosi, who reported making a series of bullish stock trades ahead of Trump's address.
So far, Trump's comeback hasn't brought better ratings for CNN or MSNBC. But they’re barreling ahead with attempts to hold the anti-Trump coalition together.
CNN anchor Dana Bash, for example, took issue with the inauguration ceremony's "inside" and "intimate" atmosphere, calling it "cringe." MSNBC host Joy Reid condemned Trump's "manifest destiny" mentality, describing it as "one of the most racist concepts in the history of America." Reid also targeted Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, lambasting them and other billionaire inauguration attendees for… enjoying heaters.
"Ensuring they're not chilly, they're all there without their coats, without their overcoats on, to make sure they're comfortable," Reid said. "One mustn't allow the super wealthy to be cold."
Unfortunately for Bash and Reid, a third horse emerged in the race, and she may have taken the crown. "I'm looking at this crowd," said CBS News host Gayle King. "I do not see many people of color. Does anybody else besides me observe that? I'm fascinated by why that is."
Watch the media lowlight reel here.
Inauguration Day isn't just about serving the taxpayer. It's also about serving looks, and Jeff Bezos’s beau Lauren Sanchez gave the American people plenty to look at. That's according to our premier style analyst, Andrew Stiles, who has a full breakdown of Sanchez's iconic suffragette ensemble, complete with an Alexander McQueen pantsuit over what looked to be lingerie.
A Free Beacon analysis found that Sanchez "formidably revealed herself as an icon of American fashion and the physical embodiment of national restoration under President Donald Trump."
"It was a modern (and slightly sexier) take on the iconic outfit Hillary Clinton wore during her acceptance speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, which was widely praised by journalists and fashion experts for its feminist symbolism," writes Stiles. "More than a century ago, the courageous women who marched in the suffrage movement wore white, Glamour magazine explained, because they believed it mirrored the 'purity of their cause.'"
"In addition to honoring the past and celebrating women's rights, Sanchez was heralding the restoration of American greatness under President Trump, who vowed in his Inaugural Address to revitalize America's optimism and sense of wonder. Trump did not say so explicitly, but he strongly implied that America would never be great again so long as women are too bashful to expose their breasts in public, and men are too ashamed to look at them." Mark Zuckerberg certainly heeded Trump's call to action.
Away from the Beacon:
- Joe Biden's departure from public office did not stop the New York Times from carrying his water. The "paper of record" argued in a straight news piece that Biden preemptively pardoned Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney, and his own degenerate brothers to "thwart Trump reprisals."
- Speaking of Biden, the old man is "in a dark space" and "increasingly embittered" at "the blame that he has gotten for Donald Trump's eventual return to the White House," according to CNN. Biden "never really stopped feeling angry about the fact that he believes he was forced out." Bummer.
- A defeated Kamala Harris flew back to L.A. "with an all-female U.S. Air Force crew—the first time an all-female crew has operated a C-33," MSNBC reported. You go, girls!