WASHINGTON // At the appointed hour of noon, Donald Trump raised his right hand, placed his left hand on a Bible and recited the oath of office, completing his extraordinary journey from TV controversialist to the most powerful man on the planet.
It was the first conventional thing he had done in an entirely unconventional assault on American politics.
He recited the words used by 44 previous presidents, promising he would "to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me God."
A 21-gun salute marked a return to business as usual. Mr Trump reverted to type, delivering a bombastic attack on Washington's political class even as he stood on the Capitol's steps.
He promised to return the government from politicians to the people.
"For too long a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have not," he said.
"Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed."
He described a country where families lived in poverty amid drugs and a broken education system.
"The American carnage stops right here and stops right now, " he thundered to cheers of support.
He promised a new decree.
"From this day forward a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward it's going to be America first," he pledged.
His words – including a promise to eradicate Islamic terrorism – resonated with his audience.
Jonelle Fulmer, a Republican from Arkansas, said: "We might be seeing the swearing in of the greatest president in history."
But Mr Trump arrives untested in either politics or the military – unprecedented for a US president. His team insists he will hit the ground running, repealing a string of Barack Obama's regulations on his first day and implementing a 100-day plan to keep up momentum.
However, his popularity ratings – as low as 38 per cent according to recent polls – mean he may struggle to carry Congress with him, despite its Republican majority.
His biggest impact is likely to be the new style he brings to the White House. Where Barack Obama was cerebral, speaking with considered pauses as befits a former law professor, Mr Trump brings bluster and bravado.
He has already used Twitter to bully companies into keeping jobs in the US or reviewing the costs of government contracts.
It is in keeping with his role of entrepreneur and self-promoter, a style he seems certain to carry into power.
Concerns about his presidency boiled over a night before. Dozens of protesters assembled outside the DeploraBall, an event that celebrated the outsider status of Mr Trump and many of his supporters – condemned as "a basket of deplorables" by Hillary Clinton.
"Nazi scum," shouted one masked protester as Trump supporters arrived in black-tie suits or sequinned dresses. A pile of placards was set alight in the street.
The capital braced for more protests on Friday, with 28,000 police and other personnel on duty, but so far Washington has been dominated by Trump supporters.
The inauguration events began with the president-elect laying a wreath at Arlington Cemetery on Thursday afternoon.
As the sun set, thousands gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for a celebration concert and fireworks.
Many were attending their first inauguration, inspired by Mr Trump's anti-establishment message.
They spoke with approval that a businessman was taking over an economy they believed had been wrecked by politicians, and said they welcomed a leader who put personal responsibility at the heart of his campaign.
"We are getting our country back," said Margaret Ann Abdalla, a dental hygienist who had travelled from California. "I'm joyous."
She said she was sick of a small clique holding on to power.
"They look out for their own interests not anyone else," she added as the country singer Toby Keith took to the stage.
Inauguration organisers were rebuffed by a string of performers – including Elton John and Charlotte Church – who said they did not want to appear.
However, the actor John Voight took the stage to address the crowd, with a reference to one of America's most revered presidents.
"President Lincoln, who sits here with us, I'm sure is smiling knowing America will be saved by an honest and good man who will work for all the people, no matter their creed or colour," he said.
Dozens of Democrat representatives disagreed with the sentiment and chose to boycott the inauguration.
Many Republicans have also struggled to come to terms with the election of a man who has at times cast aside conservative principles, used abusive language towards women and rivals or ridiculed senior party figures such as John McCain, the senator and Vietnamese prisoner of war.
Jennifer Pierotti, the co-founder of Republican Women for America, said: "Like a lot of Republicans, although we want to look away it's kind of hard to look away from a train wreck."
She campaigned for Hillary Clinton during the election and now plans to work to hold Mr Trump to account.
"Every day there are so many opportunities to be a leader and prove he isn't a misogynist, but he keeps doubling down on all those things."
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
President Donald Trump promises to put ‘America first’
After taking the oath of office, Mr Trump also swore to return government to the people and put US interests foremost as the guiding principle of his presidency.
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