Trump’s inauguration: A moment of ‘optimism’, or one rooted in ‘false reality’?
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Donald Trump roused crowds with an inaugural speech on “American exceptionalism”, but do his controversial day-on policies clash with the “optimism” brought to supporters?
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Read time: 6 mins
In brief…
- Donald Trump was met with rapturous applause in Washington as he declared 20 January 2025 “liberation day” for American people.
- The News Agents say his speech was optimistic, but that a lot of what was said doesn’t fully align with reality.
- He has made sweeping promises to improve the lives of people in the US, but in doing so has set an extremely high bar against which his second presidency will be measured.
What’s the story?
In his inaugural address, Donald Trump promised America would "drill, baby drill" for fossil fuels in a speech met with huge cheers from euphoric MAGA supporters.
Trump's dedication to plunder natural resources under ice in Alaska is, the president says, to combat the "energy emergency" facing the US, with the aim of lowering fuel prices for US citizens.
He was sworn in as the 47th president of the United State of America on 20 January 2025, with his supporters flooding Washington DC to support the man who has promised lower bills and fewer migrant people across the country.
Describing the inauguration as "liberation day" for America, the billionaire roused the crowds with a speech which attacked Joe Biden's presidency, claiming the Democrat has left a corrupt and lawless country in his wake.
Promises to "fix" the border and the economy were also met with huge cheers inside Washington's Capital One centre, where Elon Musk gave a speech (and a controversial salute) and star performer Carrie Underwood sang acapella due to technical difficulties.
"I want to be a peacemaker and a unifier," said Donald Trump while speaking about the Middle East, with many believing his incoming presidency played a huge role in securing the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
But Trump had previously promised to be a "dictator" on day one of his second presidency (and only on day one), and while some are celebrating his early actions, many believe that the orders he has signed in the first 24 hours of his second term will deliver anything but peace and unity.
What's The News Agents take?
Inside the 20,000 capacity stadium, The News Agents say the speech was one with a "sense of optimism" for America's future.
"We always think of Trump as being a sort of slightly pessimistic figure," says Lewis Goodall.
"What it spoke to very well was something that is deep within the American psyche, which is the idea that America is always going to be expanding, that it is always going to be on the up, that optimistic future. He was even talking about extending it to Mars."
This comment was met with two thumbs up from Elon Musk, who stood in the crowd next to Barron Trump, son of Donald and Melania.
"The thing that really struck me about Trump's inaugural speech was the extent to which American Exceptionalism is back," says Jon Sopel.
"That America is the best country on Earth. America is unique. America is this place where no one else can compete.
"Donald Trump had this optimistic end to the speech where he invokes the spirit of the frontiers, men who got their wagons together and rode across the United States of America to go west and open up the new frontier of America and what it would mean to be an American."
He says Trump tried to portray a future of America with “real hope” in it.
"Of course, with him as President,” he adds.
Emily Maitlis says, however, that Trump's talk of "American exceptionalism" didn't seem to have many positives for its neighbours and close allies.
Can 'American exceptionalism' be seen in Trump's day one policies?
As much an entertainer as the president, Donald Trump signed executive orders live on stage after his inauguration, creating new laws in front of the people who voted him into power.
Doug Heye, a Republican strategist, recently told The News Agents that Donald Trump needs to remember the two main reasons he won the 2024 election – his promises on the economy, and migration.
In his day one orders, he tackled one of these issues with efficiency and ruthlessness.
He declared a national emergency on the border with Mexico – and ordered the US military to "seal the borders, suspended America's refugee resettlement programme and ended the right of anyone born on US soil the automatic birthright of US citizenship”.
Drug smugglers will now be classed as terrorist organisations, building at the unfinished wall on the Mexico border will be resumed, he closed down some legal routes into the US, and signed an order that prevents people who enter the US illegally from staying in the country while they await the outcome of their immigration hearings.
When it came to the economy, there was less direct action, with a directive signed to simply look into the cost of living in America, with a report expected in 30 days.
But, along with Trump's "drill, baby drill" comments came the orders that impact climate change, among other more controversial and divisive executive orders.
He pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement (for the second time in history), ended Biden's Green New Deal, which aimed to boost green jobs, as well as a promise to end wind farms and targets for electric vehicles.
When signing an order to pull the US out of the World Health Organisation, he commented: "Ooh, that's a big one".
Elsewhere, 1,600 people charged with riot offences have been pardoned, the name of the Gulf of Mexico was changed to the Gulf of America, and Trump ended all support for (and recognition of) trans and non-binary people.
All diversity programmes within government have been ended, and a government website which offered birth control support and abortion services, has been shut down.
Is Trump fighting against an 'America of his imagination' with these orders?
While The News Agents may have praised the sense of optimism with which Trump addressed his supporters in his inaugural speech, they also question the potential "false realities" and extremely high bar he has set for himself in his grand, and far-reaching outline for what his presidency will achieve.
A lot of what he said on stage didn't quite align with reality.
"He creates and manufactures false realities, and he creates his own reality," says Lewis Goodall, adding that this includes inheriting a strong economy from the Biden administration, and low immigration rates.
"He's talking about elements of the economy which are much stronger than he suggests, and when he's talking about the crisis at the southern border – actually, illegal entry is at a four year low."
Jon says what was delivered in Washington on Monday was a "restatement" of what had been promised on the 2024 campaign trail.
"Trump's won the election. He has won the political argument for now," he says.
"There was a bit more of his vision, but now it's a question of whether he can deliver it.
"He's set the bar very high for himself, and this time round, unlike last time, he's got control of everything, so he'll only have himself to blame if he falls short."
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