Joe Biden becomes the United States’ 46th president

Joe Biden is officially the 46th president of the United States. The 78-year-old Democrat and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn in on Wednesday (Jan. 20) during a mostly remote Inauguration Day ceremony. Former presidents and First Ladies Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton and George and Laura Bush were in attendance; as well as Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez, who performed.

“Today we celebrate the triumph, not of a candidate, but of a cause,” Biden addressed his crowd of supporters at the Capitol after being sworn in. “The cause of democracy. The people — the will of the people — has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded.”

“We’ve learned again that democracy is precious; democracy is fragile and at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”

Biden reflected on Trump supporters’ deadly insurrection at the Capitol, which occurred just two weeks ago.

“On this hallowed ground where just a few days ago violence sought to shake the 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,” he said. “As we look ahead in our unique American way — restless, bold, optimistic — and set our sights on a nation we know we can be and we must be.”

The new POTUS also spoke at length about the Coronavirus pandemic, protests for racial justice, healthcare and coming together as a nation. According to NBC, Biden is expected to spend the first hours of his presidency by signing more than a dozen executive actions — most of them aimed at undoing many of the hallmarks of Trump’s presidency.

The outlet reports that Biden will sign measures to rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate change, stop construction of the Southern border wall, mandate mask-wearing on federal property and repeal Trump’s travel restrictions on Muslim-majority countries.

Watch the ongoing Inauguration ceremony below.