Biden, holding a family Bible, swore to protect the US Constitution as he was inaugurated as the oldest US president in history in a simple ceremony in Washington. The event was scaled back due to COVID-19 and security concerns following the Capitol attack. Trump, who broke tradition by not meeting Biden or attending the inauguration, did not mention his successor by name in his final remarks as president. He left for Florida after boarding Air Force One for the last time. Top Republicans, such as Vice President Mike Pence and the party's congressional leaders, were present at Biden's inauguration, along with former US Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Kamala Harris, Biden's running mate and the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, made history as the first Black person, first woman, and first Asian American to be sworn in as vice president by US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor, the court's first Latina member, oversaw the ceremony where Harris used two Bibles, one of which belonged to Thurgood Marshall, the first Black US Supreme Court Justice. Biden begins his presidency during a time of national unease, with ongoing crises including the pandemic, economic downturn, climate change, and racial inequality. He has pledged immediate action, including issuing a series of executive orders on his first day in office. The event on Wednesday took place at the heavily guarded US Capitol, where a group of Trump supporters had breached the building two weeks prior due to false claims of election fraud. This violence led to Trump being impeached for a second time by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. Following the attack, thousands of National Guard troops were deployed to the city, resulting in the National Mall being adorned with flags and pillars of light instead of a crowd of supporters. Biden, who has promised to unite the country, will emphasize the importance of American unity during his inaugural address. His inauguration marks the pinnacle of a fifty-year career in public service, with over thirty years in the US Senate and two terms as vice president under former President Barack Obama. However, he is now facing challenges that would test even the most seasoned politician. The United States reached devastating milestones in the pandemic on Trump's last day in office, with 400,000 deaths and 24 million infections - the highest numbers in any country. Many Americans are unemployed due to pandemic-related closures and limitations. Biden has promised to utilize the full power of the federal government to address the crisis. His main focus is a $1.9 trillion proposal that aims to improve unemployment benefits and give direct cash payments to households. However, this plan will need to be approved by a divided Congress, where Democrats have slight majorities in both the House and Senate. Vice President Harris was set to swear in three new Democratic senators on Wednesday, creating a 50-50 split in the Senate with herself as the deciding vote. Biden is expected to quickly move forward from the Trump administration by signing 15 executive orders on Wednesday addressing issues such as the pandemic, the economy, and climate change. These orders will include requiring masks on federal property, rejoining the Paris climate agreement, and ending Trump's travel restrictions on certain Muslim-majority countries. Even though Biden has outlined an extensive agenda for his first 100 days, which includes administering 100 million COVID-19 vaccines, the Senate might be preoccupied with Trump's upcoming impeachment trial. This trial, which will proceed despite Trump no longer being in office, could be an early test of Biden's promise to promote bipartisanship in Washington. In his final hours as president, Trump granted over 140 pardons and commutations, including one for his former political adviser, Steve Bannon, who is facing charges related to defrauding Trump supporters for a border wall fund. Despite speculation, Trump did not grant preemptive pardons to himself or his family members.