Washington: Soon after being sworn in as the 45th President of the US, Joe Biden pledged to be a “president for all Americans,” including those who did not vote for him.
“I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did,” Biden said at his inauguration address.
“For all those who supported our campaign, I’m humbled by the faith you placed in us. To all those who did not support us, let me say this: Hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart. 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 this nation’s greatest strength. Yet hear me clearly. Disagreement must not lead to disunion.”
He noted that the country has “much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain.”
Stressing on the importance of unifying the country Biden said: “Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation.”
The US, worst-hit nation in the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen over 400,000 deaths. Biden observed that “few people in our nation’s history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we’re in now.”
Describing it as a “once-in-a-century virus that silently stalks the country”, Biden said it has claimed “as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War II.”
Calling for a fresh start at a time when the country experiences “historic moment” of crisis and challenge, Biden said: “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.”
In his first tweet as President of the United States (POTUS), Biden said “there’s no time to waste.”
There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face. That’s why today, I am heading to the Oval Office to get right to work delivering bold action and immediate relief for American families.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 20, 2021
