Trump inauguration live updates: Trump meets Biden at White House as inauguration events begin – BBC.com
President Donald Trump begins his first full day back in the White House after signing dozens of executive orders following his inaugurationOn Monday, he started the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization and Paris climate deal. He has also declared a national emergency at the southern border – here’s a summaryHe issued nearly 1,600 pardons in connection with the Capitol riots on 6 January 2021 – many prisoners are expected to be released within hoursAnalysis: Trump’s inaugural address underlined some of the opportunities and challenges the new president will face in his second term in office, writes Anthony ZurcherMeanwhile, Elon Musk – one of Trump’s closest confidants – has responded to criticism for making what some have described as a Nazi salute at a post-inauguration eventComing up: Our correspondents will be answering your questions on Trump’s second term live here from 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT) – send your queries to yourquestions@bbc.co.uk, external This video can not be playedTrump inauguration: Melania air kiss, the oath of office and executive ordersEdited by Nathan Williams and Adam Durbin, with Bernd Debusmann reporting from the White HouseOur experts and
correspondents are answering your questions live on what to expect from Donald Trump’s second term.They’ll be looking at the flurry of executive orders Trump signed since taking office, on areas such as immigration, climate, government reform and the economy.You can follow the session at the top of this page, just click the watch livebutton. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkwoski has said she “strongly” disagrees with Trump’s decision to sign an executive action renaming the state’s Mount Denali to Mount McKinley.Trump said the name change would be done in honour of America’s 25th president, William McKinley, whose tariff policies Trump admires.Reacting to the move, Murkowski said: “Our nation’s tallest mountain, which has been called Denali for thousands of years, must continue to be known by the rightful name bestowed by Alaska’s Koyukon Athabascans, who have stewarded the land since time immemorial.”For context: Former President Barack Obama changed the mountain’s name from McKinley to Denali in 2015 to reflect what North America’s highest peak was called by native tribes.We’ve just heard from Winston Pingeon, a former police officer
who was on duty during the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.Asked by our colleagues on the BBC World Service Newshour
programme about his reaction to the pardoning of 1,500 people convicted or charged
in connection with the riot, Pingeon says it’s a “slap in the face”
to police officers who “quite literally were assaulted that day”.”It’s really an unprecedented thing to know that these
violent felons who were convicted by a jury of their peers for crimes that were
largely broadcast for all the country and world to see are going to walk free
and be returned to their neighbourhoods,” he says.Pingeon, who left the Capitol Police ten months after the riot,
says that on the day of the storming he was punched in the face, knocked on the
back, pepper sprayed, and nearly stabbed by a flag pole.He describes the riot as “unprecedented” and says it’s
“important that those who assaulted law enforcement be held accountable
for their actions”, adding that “now they are not”.Bernd Debusmann JrReporting from the White HouseKaroline Leavitt is the new White House Press SecretaryNearly 24 hours after Donald Trump officially became President
of the United States, we’ve still not heard about any planned news conferences
from the new White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt.Here in the press area of the White House, it’s clear that many
reporters are itching for an opportunity to ask her questions, particularly
about the Trump administration’s plans to accomplish some of the goals it has already
outlined.The briefings provide an opportunity to ask the White House
about future plans, to clarify things and to explain the president’s thinking
on any particular topic.They can often be tense – something we saw with increasing
frequency in the latter part of Joe Biden’s administration, particularly when
the White House was asked about the war in Gaza, or Biden’s age and political
future.Earlier, Leavitt confirmed that “the American people won’t
he hearing from me today”.Instead, pool reporters will hear from Trump directly at his
infrastructure announcement this afternoon.Speaking to Fox, Leavitt said that Trump is the “most
transparent president in history” – which some reporters have suggested
means that we’ll have more opportunity to press him directly for answers.Rachel FlynnLive reporterMexican people can be sure its government will “always defend Mexico’s sovereignty and independence”, its president Claudia Scheinbaum says.Speaking about Trump’s executive orders, the president says Mexico will always support its nationals who are in the United States.She says the order Trump signed declaring a national emergency at the southern border is “practically the same” as an order he signed in his first term in 2019. “It isn’t new,” she adds. The ‘Remain in Mexico’ order is also a repetition from his first term in December 2018, Scheinbaum explains.On the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, which she introduces with a smile and a laugh, she says the order says the US can call it the “Gulf of America” but this won’t change what Mexico and the rest of the world call it.Jessica MurphyBBC News, TorontoCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is responding to
President Trump’s renewed threat – issued last night – that he might impose 25%
tariffs on Canada.”Canadian energy powers American manufacturing, business,
homes,” Trudeau told reporters this morning.The PM nodded towards Trump’s promise in his inauguration
address that America will enter a “golden age”.”That will require steel, aluminium, critical minerals,
energy,” Trudeau said. “Canada has all those resources.”It’s not certain Trump will move ahead with imposing the tariffs
on 1 February, as he suggested in the Oval Office on Monday night. The same
day, he signed a presidential memo seeking a review of US trade relationships
by his officials. That review is due 1 April.But Trudeau said if he does
proceed: “Canada will respond – and everything is on the table.” Jessica ParkerBBC News Berlin correspondentThis video can not be playedElon Musk draws scrutiny over arm gesture at post-inauguration rallyGermany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, has just responded to a question about Elon Musk’s gesture last night, which has been compared to a Nazi salute; something that’s banned in Germany.”On the question of the dealing of Elon Musk I had a lot of things to comment in the past because he was discussing a lot about Europe. And just to repeat what I already said, we have the freedom of speech in Europe and in Germany. Everyone can say what he wants, even if he is a billionaire. And what we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme right positions,” he said.”And this is what I would like to repeat again.”As a reminder, Elon Musk caused outrage over a one-armed gesture he gave during a speech celebrating the inauguration of Donald Trump yesterday.A few hours ago he responded on X, saying: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”We can now bring you some lines from Florida Senator Marco
Rubio, who has just been sworn in as the next US secretary of state.Rubio says everything the new administration does will depend on
the answer to three questions: “Does it make us stronger? Does it make us
safer and does it make us more prosperous?””If not, we will not do it,” he says.He calls this a “transformational” moment and says
the US is moving towards a “new era” that will make the world a safer
place. He adds that Trump made it clear that the primary role of US foreign
policy will be peace.Florida Senator Marco Rubio has just been sworn in as the next US secretary of state. The Senate confirmed him late on Monday, making him the first member of Trump’s cabinet to get congressional approval.Rubio has years of experience serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and speaking out about international conflicts during his Senate tenure.He is now the nation’s top US diplomat, overseeing more than 70,000 federal employees working for the US Department of State.Rubio is considered a foreign policy “hawk” – meaning someone who takes hard-line positions, in this case towards Iran as well as China.Bernd Debusmann JrReporting from the White HouseGood morning from the White House on the first full day of Donald Trump’s second term as US President. When I arrived earlier this morning, the first thing I saw was a moving truck sitting outside the West Wing of the White House. The doors were propped open – which I’d never seen – and a handful of workers were moving boxes inside. At 11:00 local time today (16:00 GMT), Trump will be at Washington DC’s National Cathedral, where he is scheduled to participate in an interfaith national prayer service, with JD Vance in attendance as well. After that, there isn’t much clarity about Trump’s plans today. But Karoline Leavitt, the White House’s new Press Secretary, told Fox News this morning that the president will make a “massive announcement” regarding infrastructure at 16:00 (21:00 GMT) today. “It’s going to prove that the world knows America is back,” she said. No further details were provided.A key architect of the Paris Climate Agreement has called on the
rest of the world to plough on with climate action despite the US withdrawal from the treaty.Professor Laurence Tubiana, who served as France’s special representative
for the 2015 COP Climate Change Conference in Paris, spoke to our colleagues on
Radio 4’s World at One programme a little earlier.”We should not be frightened by shouting, or the
declaration of what the president of the United States has decided. There is no
more one hegemon, or one country leading the world. That is over. So let’s be
courageous and stand up because we can’t just ignore it [climate change],”
she said.Climate change doesn’t do politics… Let’s not be derailed or distracted. Let’s continue. Let’s double down… It is a moment of courage [that] I’m waiting for.”You can listen to Tubiana’s full interview in this recording of the World at One programme.From 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT), our experts and
correspondents will be answering your questions live on what to expect from Donald Trump’s second term.You can get in touch using #BBCYourQuestions – or email yourquestions@bbc.co.uk – and you’ll be able to watch the Q&A live on the BBC News Channel and at the top of this page.Trump has wasted no time issuing executive actions that could significantly reshape the US’s policies.But what are they?Executive actions include executive orders, which are legally-binding, and other presidential directives like proclamations, which are usually not.An executive order is a written order – issued by the president to the federal government – which does not require congressional approval. Orders range from dramatic reverses of policy, to ordinary business.The power to make these orders comes from Article II of the US constitution, external, which states: “The executive power shall be vested in a president of the United States of America.” If an order is deemed to stray outside the boundaries of what is acceptable, it can be subject to a legal review.During his previous term, Trump signed 220 executive orders, some of which were challenged in the courts.More than 23,000 acres have now burnt from the Palisades FireOne of President Trump’s first trips will be to Los Angeles,
following the deadly and destructive wildfires which broke out two weeks ago.At his pre-inauguration rally, Trump said he’ll visit California
on Friday.Governor of California Gavin Newsom said he’ll “look
forward to President Trump’s visit to Los Angeles and his mobilization of the
full weight of the federal government to help our fellow Americans recover and
rebuild” in a statement on Monday.Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, said he believes
“conditions” should be placed on the federal disaster aid allocated
for communities affected by the wildfires.Johnson and Trump are due to meet this afternoon.Anthony, Justin, Sarah and Marianna in the Americast studio in Washington DCThe 45th and now 47th president
of the United States is wasting no time putting his plans into action.What does Donald Trump mean when
he promises a “new golden age for America”? Why is he signing so many executive
orders?Justin, Sarah, Marianna, and
Anthony are together in Washington to unpack the news as it breaks.Dominic HughesHealth correspondentThe most obvious impact of the US withdrawal from the WHO will
be on the budget of the global health body.Of 196 member states, the US is by far the largest individual
funder, contributing almost a fifth of the total budget.If that goes, and no other nations step up to fill the gap, the
ability of the WHO to respond to emergencies such as an Ebola outbreak, or mPox
– let alone another Covid-19-style pandemic – could be compromised.Some scientists worry the US will now be left isolated when it
comes to programmes such as pandemic preparedness and seasonal influenza strain
sequencing, used to develop annual flu jabs.Others argue the US withdrawal could prompt further reforms of
how the WHO works, making it a body that better serves the public health needs of
people around the globe.But there’s little sign that will be enough to convince the
president to reverse his decision.Donald Trump has already issued a flurry of executive orders on everything from immigration and climate to pardoning people convicted over the 2021 Capitol riot.Here’s an overview of some of the new president’s actions so far – and here’s the full list plus added context.ImmigrationClimate and energyWorld Health OrganizationDiversity and gender2021 Capitol riotEconomyTrump is back in the Oval Office – and the long tradition of presidential redecoration is under way.In redecorating, the president symbolises their goals for the coming four years by putting their own personal spin on the room.Trump’s creative licence shows itself in a red valet button, used by the president to request a butler bring his favourite drink: Diet Coke. He has also reintroduced a bust of Winston Churchill – which was removed by Biden. The statue returns to the White House exactly where it was four years ago.But Trump has kept some of former President Joe Biden’s touches, including a portrait of Benjamin Franklin and a sculpture of Martin Luther King. The office has been redone with silver figurines, a new carpet, and a personalised paperweight.Donald Trump’s family photos are displayed in the Oval OfficeRachel FlynnLive reporterAfter a mammoth inauguration day filled with pomp and processes, US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump woke up this morning in the White House.We don’t know much yet about his agenda today – but here’s what we do know:Trump has also pledged to focus on deportations on his first day, after unveiling an executive order to deport millions of “criminal aliens”. As soon as we have more on this, you will too. Stick with us.Anthony ZurcherNorth America correspondentDonald Trump’s inaugural address was a mix of promises – and contradictions – that underlined some of the opportunities and challenges the new president will face in his second term in office.He started talking at a little after noon on Monday, and it seemed at times like he didn’t stop talking – at ad-libbed remarks later at the Capitol, at his indoor parade rally at a downtown sports arena and at the White House executive order signing – until well into the evening.Through it all, Trump demonstrated the kind of dramatic flair and penchant for controversy and confrontation that has energised his supporters and infuriated his critics.Trump returns to power with a team that has a detailed strategy for governing and an aggressive agenda to pursue. Trump himself, however, can still be as unpredictable and unfocused as ever – making remarks that could represent new policy or just a momentary distraction.The second Trump era has truly begun.© 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
