'My whole soul is in this': President Joe Biden calls for unity in inaugural address

The Trump era officially came to an end when, on Wednesday, January 20, Joe Biden was sworn in as president of the United States and former Sen. Kamala Harris was sworn in vice president. During his inaugural speech, the United States' new president described some of the many daunting "challenges" confronting the U.S. but also maintained an optimistic tone.

The 78-year-old president noted that Americans are facing everything from a deadly pandemic to unemployment to civil unrest, declaring, "We still have much to do…..much to restore, and much to gain."

Problems confronting the U.S., President Biden said, include "police extremism, White supremacy, domestic terrorism" — and those problems, he stressed, must be "defeated."

Biden had a considerably different tone from former President Donald Trump when discussing the COVID-19 pandemic. While Trump repeatedly downplayed the pandemic's severity, Biden warned that Americans might be facing the "toughest and deadliest period of the virus."

The new president discussed the violent January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol Building but noted that the rioters could not overturn the 2020 election results.

Biden said, "A riotous mob thought they could silence the will of the people….. It did not happen. It will not happen."

Biden pointed out that 108 years ago, some Americans were fighting against women getting the right to vote. But now, the new president said, the U.S. has its first female vice president.

The Democratic president vowed to work across party lines, declaring, "I will be a president for all Americans — all Americans. I will fight as hard for those who didn't support me as for those who did."