Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Leader. Schumer. Mitch McConnell, vice president. Pence My distinguished guests, My fellow Americans. This is America's Day. This is democracies day, a day of history and hope every new and resolve Through a crucible for the ages, America has been tested a new and America has risen to the challenge. Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but because because of democracy, the people, the will of the people has been heard on. The will of the people has been heated. We've learned again that democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed. So now, on this hallowed ground, we're just a few days ago, violence sought to shake the capital's very foundation. We come together as one nation under God, indivisible, to carry out the peaceful transfer of power, as we have for more than two centuries, a Z look ahead and are uniquely American, way restless, bold, optimistic and set our sights on the nation we know we can be and we must be. I thank my predecessors of both parties for their presence here today. I thank them from the bottom, my heart and I know I know the resilience of our Constitution and the strength, the strength of our nation, as does President Carter. I spoke with last night who cannot be with us today but whom we salute for his lifetime and service. I've just taken the sacred oath. Each of those Patriots have taken the oath first sworn by George Washington. But the American story depends. Not in any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us. On we, the people who seek a more perfect union. This is a great nation. Were good people on over the centuries, through storm and strife, in peace and in war. We've come so far, but we still have far to go. Well, press forward with speed and urgency, for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibilities, much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build and much to gain. A few people, our nation's history, have been mawr challenged, are found a time or challenging or difficulty thin. The time we're now once in a century virus that silently stalks the country is taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War two, millions of jobs have been lost. Hundreds of thousands of businesses closed a cry for racial justice some 400 years in the making moves US dream of justice for all will be deferred. No longer. A cry for survival comes from planet itself, a cry that can't be any more desperate or any more clear. And now, a rise of political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat. To overcome these challenges to restore the soul and secure the future of America requires so much more than words requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy. Unity, unity. In another January, on New Year's Day in 18 63 Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. When he put pen to paper, the president said, And I quote, If my name ever goes down into history, it will be for this act on. My whole soul is in it. My whole soul is in it today. On this January day, my whole soul is in this bringing America together, uniting our people united in our nation. On I ask every American to join me in this cause, Uniting to fight the foes. We face anger, resentment and hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness and hopelessness. With unity, we can do great things. Important things we can right wrongs. We can put people to work in good jobs. We can teach our Children in safe schools. We can overcome the deadly virus. We could reward, reward work and rebuild the middle class and make health care secure for all. We can deliver racial justice and we can make America once again leading force for good in the world. I know, speaking of unity, confound to some like a foolish fantasy these days I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are riel. But I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we're all are created equal and the harsh, ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long tourney us apart. Battle is perennial and victory is never assured Through civil war, the Great Depression, World War 9 11 Through struggle, sacrificing setbacks. Our better angels have always prevailed in each of these moments. Enough of us. Enough of us have come together to carry all of us forward and we can do that now. History, faith and reason show the way the way of unity. Waken see each other not as adversaries but his neighbors. We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stopped shouting and lower the temperature. For without unity there is no peace. Onley, bitterness and fury No progress on Lee. Exhausting outrage. No nation on Lee. A state of chaos This'll is our historic moment of crisis and challenge and unity. Is the path forward on? We must meet this moment as the United States of America. If we do that, I guarantee you we will not fail. We have never, ever, ever, ever failed in America. We've acted together on DSO today at this time in this place. Let's start a fresh all of us. Let's begin to listen to one another again. Here one another, see one another, show respect to one another. Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire, destroying everything in his path. Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for total war on and we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured. Thank you, my fellow Americans. We have to be different than this. America has to be better than this on. I believe America is so much better than this. Just look around. Here we stand in the shadow of the Capitol Dome. A Z was mentioned earlier, completed amid the civil war when the union itself was literally hanging in the balance. Yet we endured way prevailed. Here we stand, looking out in the Great mall where Dr King spoke of his dream. Here we stand were 108 years ago at another inaugural, thousands of protesters tried to block brave women marching for the right to vote on. Today we mark the swearing into the first woman in American history elected to National office Vice President Kamala Harris. Don't tell me things can't change here we stand across the Potomac from Arlington Cemetery, where heroes who gave the last full measure of devotion rest in eternal peace. And here we stand just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people to stop the work of our democracy. To drive us from this sacred ground. It did not happen. It will never happen. Not today, not tomorrow. Not ever. Not ever. Yeah. Okay. All those who supported our campaign. I'm humbled by the faith you place in us To all those who did not support us. Let me say this. Hear me out. As we move forward, take a measure of May and my heart. If you still disagree, so be it. That's democracy. That's America. The right to dissent peaceably, when the guard rails of our republic is perhaps this nation's greatest strength yet. Hear me clearly. Disagreement must not lead to this union. And I pledge this to you. I will be a president for all Americans. All Americans on, I promise you, I will. Fight is hard for those who did not support me. As for those who did many centuries ago, ST Augustine a saying in my church wrote to the people, was a multitude defined by the common objects of their love defined by the common objects of their love. What are the common objects we as Americans love that define us as Americans? I think we know Opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honor. And yes, the truth. Yeah, In recent weeks and months, E taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lives lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and responsibility as citizens, as Americans, especially as leaders, leaders who have pledged toe honor our Constitution and protect our nation to defend the truth and defeat the lies. Look, I understand that many of my fellow Americans view the future was fear and trepidation. I understand they worry about their jobs, Understand? Like my dad, they lay in bed, staring at the night, staring at the ceiling, wondering kind of keep my health care kind of pay my mortgage, thinking about their families about what comes next. I promise you, I get it. But the answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who don't look like look like you or worship the way you do or don't get their news from the same sources. You dio way must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue. Rural versus Ireland are rural versus urban conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts. If we show a little tolerance and humility and if we're willing to stand in the other person's shoes, is my mom would say, just for a moment, stand in their shoes Because here's the thing about life. There's no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days when you need a hand there. Other days when we're called to lend a hand, that's how it has to be. That's what we do for one another. And if we are this way, our country will be stronger, more prosperous. Mawr ready for the future. And we could still disagree. My fellow Americans and the work ahead of us. We're gonna need each other. We need all our strength to preserve. To persevere through this dark winter, we're entering what may be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus. Way must set aside politics and finally faced this pandemic as one nation, one nation. And I promise you this, as the Bible says we be may endure for a night. But joy cometh in the morning. We will get through this together together. Look, folks, all my colleagues I served with in the House and the Senate up here way. All understand the world is watching watching all of us today. So here's my message of those beyond our borders. America has been tested and we've come out stronger for it. Way will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again not to meet yesterday's challenges. But today's and tomorrow's challenges yeah, and will lead not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. Will be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress and security. Look, you all know we've been through so much in this nation on my first act as president. Like to ask you to join me in a moment of silent prayer. Remember all those who we lost in this past year to the pandemic? Those 400,000 fellow Americans, moms, dads, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, neighbors and coworkers will honor them, but becoming the people and the nation we know we can and should be. So I ask you, let's say a silent prayer for those who lost their lives and those left behind and for our country. Amen, folks, Thistle, Time of testing way. We face an attack under democracy and untruth. A raging virus, growing inequity, sting of systemic racism, climate in crisis, America's role in the world. Any one of these we have enough to challenge us and profound ways. But the fact is, we face them all at once, presenting this nation with one of the gravest responsibilities we've had. Now we're gonna be tested. Are we going to step up all of us? It's time for boldness, for there is so much to do. And this is certain, I promise you, we will be judged you and I by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era. We will rise to the occasion is the question. Will we master this rare and difficult our what? We meet our obligations and pass along a new and better world? Our Children? I believe we must. I'm sure you do as well. I believe we will. And when we do, we'll write the next great chapter in the history of the United States of America. The American story, A story that might sound something like a song that means a lot to May is called American Anthem. There's one verse that stands out at least for May, and it goes like this Work and prayers of century have brought us to this day What shall be our legacy? What will our Children say? Let me know in my heart when my days air through America, America, I gave my best to you. Let's add lets us add our own work and prayers to the unfolding story of our great nation. If we do this, then when our days air through our Children and our Children's Children will save us. They gave their best. They did their duty. They heal the broken land. My fellow Americans, I closed the day where I began with the sacred oath before God and all of you. I give you my word. I will always level with you. I will defend the Constitution. I'll defend our democracy. I will defend America on will give all all of you keep everything I do in your service thinking not of power but the possibilities. Not a personal interest, but the public Good. And together we shall write an American story of hope, not fear of unity. Not division of light, not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness. May this be the story that guides us the story that inspires us. And the story that tells age is yet to come that we answered the call of history. We met the moment democracy and hope. Truth and justice did not die in our watch, but thrive that America's secured liberty at home and stood once again as a beacon to the world. That is what we owe our forebearers one another and generation to follow. So with purpose and resolve, we turn to those task of our time sustained by faith, driven by conviction devoted to one another in the country we love with all our hearts. May God bless America and may God protect our troops. Thank you, America.