Press. share.america.gov
THE PRESIDENT:
Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush,
President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you. 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.
Every four
years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer
of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama
for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.
Thank you.
Today’s
ceremony, however, has very special meaning — 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.
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.
That all changes
— starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment. It
belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone
watching all across America.
This is your
day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your
country. What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but
whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th, 2017, will be
remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. 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 a
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. 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.
But for too many
of our citizens, a different reality exists: 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, flushed 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.
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. We’ve defended other nations’ borders while refusing
to defend our own — and spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas 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. One by one, the factories shuttered and left our
shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American
workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped
from their homes and then redistributed all across the world. But that is the
past. And now we are looking only to the future.
We, assembled
here today, are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every
foreign capital, and in every hall of power. 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. 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. 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.
We will follow
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. We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it
shine as an example — we will shine — for everyone to follow.
We will
reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and unite the civilized world
against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face
of the Earth.
At the bedrock
of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and
through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each
other. 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.” We
must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always
pursue solidarity. 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.
Finally, we must
think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is
only living as long as it is striving. 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.
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. A new national pride will stir our souls, lift
our sights, and heal our divisions.
It’s time to
remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: 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. And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the
windswept 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.
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