President Biden: 'Democracy has prevailed'

Joe Biden took the oath of office on Wednesday, but in his first address to the nation as the 46th president of the United States, he acknowledged how tumultuous the path to the historic day has been. "The people — the will of the people — has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded," he said. "We have learned again that democracy is precious, democracy is fragile, and at this hour my friends, democracy has prevailed."

Biden added that it is on "we the people" to strive for a more perfect union. "This is a great nation," he went on. "We are good people. Over the centuries through storm and strife, through peace and war, we've come so far. But we still have far to go."

"We'll press forward," Biden said, "with speed and urgency. We have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibilities."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.