Watching the US Inauguration

It was very emotional. Lady GaGa and JLo were both fab. Recorded the concert. Watching it now.

Grandma70s

“Why did a quite solemn occasion then turn into a Broadway act?”

Precisely, Marmight. No sense of what is appropriate.

Seriously ?? I’m sorry but what a very mealy mouthed comment.

Wonderful moving speech delivered with sincerity and gives some hope to us all, though the new president faces huge challenges. I thought Trump in his awful final message was setting up expectations so that any good things which follow can be claimed as his achievements and any problems can be claimed as all down to his successor. I hope I am wrong and that if I'm right the media will not help him. President Biden is a beacon of hope and the media could do a lot to support his work to bring America together and face the huge challenges together.

GrandetanteJE65 I believe Trump was only given permission to build Mar-a-Lago as a business, not as a residential property.
I've never watched a previous inaugeration, but avidly watched this one to make sure I knew that Trump really had gone. I too, felt a sense of lightness come over me when Biden took his oath and the USA finally had a new President.
Has anyone else noticed that Trump was born just 10 months after Hitler committed suicide? I hope reincarnation isn't a reality.

Grandma70s

“Why did a quite solemn occasion then turn into a Broadway act?”

Precisely, Marmight. No sense of what is appropriate.

As a non-American I don't feel I have the right to tell them what is and isn't appropriate.

However I thought Lady Gaga giving a fabulous rendition of the National Anthem in a Schiaparelli ballgown was out of this world. And I don't see anything inappropriate with a Latina singer performing a song about how the country is for all its inhabitants, followed by an extract from another song saying how beautiful the country is. Interspersed with part of the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish.

how can the National Anthem be a strange choice if music. It's so solemn more joyful

Well, good luck to the new president.

With the iron ring the police and military had thrown round the Capitol, it was bound to go reasonably well, unless someone had planted a bomb, which fortunately they had not.

Glad Trump only made a few fatuous remarks.

What is this business about him not really being able to live in the property he had gone to? It was mentioned by a commentator as if we all know this, but I had never heard it before. Never watched a presidential inaugration before. Struck me as the world's most boring ceremony.

I hope they were all wearing two vests.

Deedaa, link to Pte Seeger & Bruce Springsteen version of This Land is Your Land from Obama inauguration, so joyful.
Anniebach, There are an awful lot of fake news and conspiracy theories shared by Qanon and other sites spreading lies, there was a lot of coverage on Channel 4, absolutely ghastly what Trump supporters believe, honestly believe
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnvCPQqQWds&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2mrRxTZOthQKuy6RI80wBx4YE-fFRuTce6EYQ6gJpR7hvjSS9ejgvhwqU

It was emotional. Good changes ahead and thank goodness Trump has gone, complete with his ignorant, appalling attitude. I hope he is banned from ever running again. Biden has his work cut out, but what a team. I like Kamala Harris too.

I think lack of hats is because it's difficult to get your mask on & off whilst wearing a hat.

I found it so moving.... I have family and friends in the USA. I am so happy for them

Still reall shocks me that anyone wanting to be President has to be born in the USA. Think about the UK- how many politicians do we have who were not born in UK. If you grow up in the country and are educated there, well integrated- why should you not be able to take full part in society, including politics. And even more so about religion- can you imagine if in the UK you had to be CofE to become an MP or Prime Minister. This is so wrong- but probably for another thread.

Star of the show for me was Amanda Gorman - beautiful girl - very powerful, moving poem

The young Poet Laureate was just amazing- I watched and listened in awe and thought, how does anyone come up with those words and speak them like that. So impressive.

Such a strong female presence too - from Kamala, to the Fire Chief who recited the pledge of allegiance, Amanda Gorman (wasn't she fab) and Lady Gaga who I thought was also fab (even her last note!)
The normality of the occasion shone through too - and the sense of family which reminded me of the Obamas.
However - under the circumstances, there were too many people, too close together and with far too much hugging going on! I hope there are no repercussions!

Marmight, I loved Lady Gaga's dress, I thought it brought some joy and festivity to the procedings. And as for the covid thing, I'm pretty sure all those people would have got a covid test before being allowed there? and Kestrel if you had read 'Becoming' by Michelle Obama you would have seen that she was really busy as first lady.

I’m very worried. I wasn’t a Trump fan but at least you could see everything - what you saw was what you got, whereas with Biden it’s hidden. He is a lefty, woke, virtue signalling man with a very dodgy background.....
He is an IRA sympathiser who with Obama bombed 7 different countries!!! His speech was a load of waffle which everyone wanted to hear but meant nothing. He was very quick to condemn (quite rightly) the storming of the Capitol, but no condemnation of the Antifa rioting and looting. Dangerous man.

To all the Americans on Gransnet I just want to wish you well. I hope that Biden's pretty "middle-of-the-road" approach will allow the wounds of the last years to heal a little. I know the climate change issue is difficult in the USA, likewise abortion and immigration but I'm hoping his conciliatory manner and his deep understanding of the divisions will allow him and his team to be generous towards his opponents.

What I do believe is that he is a Christian and lives his faith so I hope that this will win round some of those who are Trump supporters.

I don't expect the healing to happen in just four years, but if he only succeeded in damping down the hatred and pain, surely that is extremely valuable at this really divided time.

With good will and a fair wind, I hope he can work with the states to get more control of the virus and thus save lives.

What a mess he is inheriting.
I wish him luck.

“Why did a quite solemn occasion then turn into a Broadway act?”

Precisely, Marmight. No sense of what is appropriate.

I thought it was wonderful, especially the young poet, Amanda Gorman.
One thing though, did anyone else want to shout "Nooooo!" at the end when they were all hugging?

I found the swearing in quite moving, especially Kamala Harris, such a significant moment. Lady Gaga looked amazing as did Michelle Obama, and I loved the sparkle in the new First Lady's coat. Brilliant to see Trump disappearing into the sunset, or for how long who knows. Let's hope this heralds better times for America.

Just glad it’s over glad he’s safely in glad there was no further outrage. A lot of work to do. I thought Hillary was great and gracious she is the one who took the most flak when she stood against Trump. Anyone in their right mind should have stopped that man progressing after his behaviour. The distraction of Bernie Saunders appealing to the left who took no notice of Trump in their destruction of Hillary Clinton. She was Obama’s Secretary of State as Biden was his deputy now they are back in power but the undercurrents are still there. And if Trump did anything he made that very apparent. Well mannered well educated lucky people are back in charge but no one should be sitting on their laurels. But we can breathe again after that taste of entitled ignorance and yet Trump gave hope to do many who felt they were on the wrong side. They understood him. They didn’t feel patronised.
The big relief was when Biden won and that the inauguration has gone through without further bloodshed. I find public displays of over sentimentality dangerous and uncomfortable. But that’s just me. I just remember Gaga in a meat dress. All a bit over the top.

Lexisgranny

I did notice that despite the masks (most of which seemed to be slipping) and occasional fist and elbow bumps, there were a lot of people shaking hands and hugging, and despite the spaces between seats, gathering together in huddles. I do hope the memory of this ceremony will not be marred by covid cases.

So do I, very little social distancing when greeting one another. The hugging wasn’t very clever.

I have rarely watched anything to do with American politics as I find it a farcical circus. But I did have to watch Joe Biden's inauguration if only to make sure that Trump was actually gone.