In the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, then-President Donald J. Trump departed from the White House for one last time before the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony. At 12:00 p.m. EST, Kamala D. Harris was officially sworn in as Vice President of the United States, and Joseph R. Biden Jr. was officially sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. This marked the oldest ever President to be inaugurated, and the first ever female, Black, and South Asian Vice President.

Biden’s speech served as a call for unity amidst the thick political division, the “uncivil war” between conservatives and liberals and between classes, He then offered reassurance of his promise to serve everyone indiscriminately. “And I pledge this to you: I will be a President for all Americans,” Biden said. “I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as those who did.”

He also ensured the fight against systemic racism, nativism, extremism, lawlessness, unemployment xenophobia, the climate crisis, and especially COVID-19. He reiterated that his top priority would be to fight the coronavirus pandemic that has raged through America for about a year at this point. He also spent some time denouncing those who bend the truth in order to benefit their own wealth and power. He promised to tell the full truth on all issues, including the pandemic. As many prominent public figures have noted, the president should be held to this standard for the rest of his term.

Although Trump broke tradition and chose not to attend the inauguration, his Vice President Mike Pence did attend, along with along with former Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton. President Carter, now 96 years old, was unable to attend.

The plans of the Biden administration have remained transparent. He planned to hit the ground running on his first day in office, reversing many key Trump-era policies. His first goals were to rejoin the Paris Climate Accords, reverse the Muslim travel ban, implement a national mask mandate on federal property, extend eviction restrictions and the pause on student loan payments, rejoin the World Health Organization, and promote immigration and racial justice, all through use of executive orders. The itinerary of his first week in office and the rest of the four years has been made very clear to the American people. Press Secretary Jen Psaki plans to hold press briefings every weekday to further promote this transparency, which is a significant change from the previous administration.

Many Americans are hopeful of a return to normalcy after a speech filled with comforting promises to unity, truth, and healing.