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The new President began his address by declaring that "We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people. Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships, but we will get the job done." He proceeded to thank President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their part in carrying out "the orderly and peaceful transfer of power", adding "They have been magnificent."
President Trump declared that his inauguration was a special one because "today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people." He went on to excoriate Washington politicians who had prospered, while the nation suffered. He said:
"For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land."
He promised that things are going to change, "starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment." He reminded his audience that "this, the United States of America, is your country." He declared that his inauguration day would "be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again." He echoed on the theme of "the forgotten man", an expression first coined during the Great Depression, and used by President Trump during his campaign for President. He said:
"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of an historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction that a nation exists to serve its citizens."
President Trump listed what he believed Americans expect of their government. He said "Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public". However he said that this did not match reality and that "for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists". He described that reality as "carnage" and said:
"Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now. We are one nation, and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams, and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans."
The next theme he addressed was one of protection of American industry. He complained that "For many decades we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military." He also lamented the fact that Americans have spent "trillions and trillions of dollars overseas" in the defense of foreign nations, "while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We've made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon."
He lamented the closing of American factories and the transfer of jobs overseas, stating that "The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world." He add :But that is the past, and now we are looking only to the future." He then declared, "From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America first. America first." He expanded on what he meant by this:
"Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength."
The incoming President made these promises to his audience:
"I will fight for you with every breath in my body, and I will never, ever let you down. America will start winning again, winning like never before. We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams. We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor."
He said that this would be accomplished by following "two simple rules: Buy American and hire American. We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first."
President Trump promised not to "seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example." He also said that the nation would "unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth."
He next discussed the concept of Patriotism and how in was antithetical to prejudice. "When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice. The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity." He called for a frank exchange of ideas and said that Americans "must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity." He added, "When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear. We are protected, and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we will be protected by God."
The President attacked self-interested politicians, emulating Harry Truman (who, in his day, complained about the "do-nothing Congress"). Trump said:
"We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining but never doing anything about it. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action. Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again."
In closing, he looked to the future and said "We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow." He said that "A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions." He referred to an old military adage that "whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American flag." He concluded his address with these words:
"And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind-swept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator. So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words. You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way. Together we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And, yes, together, we will make America great again. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America. Thank you. God bless America."
Following is a YouTube video of President Trump delivering his inaugural address: