周三中午前不久，乔·拜登宣誓就任美国第46任总统。
就职庆典以烟火表演结束
总统和第一夫人在晚上10点前离开白宫，观看了周三晚上结束就职庆典的烟火表演。
当拜登夫妇在蓝厅阳台上时，副总统和第二位绅士在林肯纪念堂的台阶上观看，几分钟前哈里斯在那里向公众发表了讲话，凯蒂·佩里正在那里表演她的歌曲《烟火》。
哈里斯宣誓后第一次向全国发表讲话
副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯(Kamala Harris)周三晚上在“庆祝美国”就职典礼上宣誓就职以来首次向公众发表讲话，她回应了拜登对团结和克服逆境的呼吁。
“在许多方面，这一时刻体现了我们作为一个国家的特征。这证明了我们是谁，”哈里斯说。“即使在黑暗时期，我们不仅做梦，我们也做梦。我们不仅看到已经发生的事情，还看到可能发生的事情。我们向月亮射击，然后在上面插上我们的旗帜。我们勇敢无畏，雄心勃勃。我们坚信我们会战胜一切，我们会奋起。这是美国人的愿望。”
拜登就职委员会通过路透社
副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯在“庆祝美国”活动上讲话
副总统提到亚伯拉罕·林肯在内战期间与赠地学院和横贯大陆铁路的合作，以及马丁·路德·金在民权运动期间为种族正义而战是令人向往的时刻。
她说:“美国人的渴望在历史上推动了这个国家的妇女要求平等权利，也推动了《权利法案》的作者要求以前很少被记录下来的自由。”。“伟大的实验需要巨大的决心。完成工作的意愿，以及不断完善、修补和完善的智慧。”
她继续说道，“通过科学家和父母培育下一代教育者和创新者的努力，这种“同样的决心”正在今天的美国实现。
“这也是美国的愿望，”她说。“这是乔·拜登总统现在呼吁我们召唤的。敢于超越危机，敢于做艰难的事情，敢于做好的事情，敢于团结，敢于相信自己，相信我们的国家，相信我们能一起做的事情。”
前总统为就职日录制留言
美国广播公司新闻证实，前总统比尔·克林顿、乔治·布什和巴拉克·奥巴马在周三晚上播出的一段新视频中强调了和平移交权力的重要性。
Tasos Katopodis/POOL/AFP通过Getty Images
前总统乔治·w·布什，众议院议长南希·佩洛西，前总统巴拉克·O...阅读更多
该视频由就职委员会组织，以与领导人关于维护民主和保持公民参与的对话为特色。
这三位是就职典礼上仅有的几位前任总统。吉米·卡特无法出席，唐纳德·特朗普在宣誓就职前离开了白宫。
拜登:“我从未如此乐观地看待美国。”
尽管美国在周三晚上的就职典礼“庆祝美国”节目中面临挑战，但总统继续强调团结和乐观。
“这是一个伟大的国家。我们是好人。在主持人汤姆·汉克斯的介绍下，拜登在林肯纪念堂的现场讲话中说:“克服我们面前的挑战需要民主中最难以捉摸的东西——团结。”。
“这需要我们在共同的爱中走到一起，这将我们定义为美国人，”他继续说道。“美国的故事不取决于我们中的任何一个人，不取决于我们中的一些人，而是取决于我们所有人。我们，人民。这是摆在我们面前的任务。”
拜登就职委员会通过路透社
乔·拜登总统在华盛顿林肯纪念堂的“庆祝美国”活动上发表讲话
他描述了这一时刻——面对“流行病、经济危机、种族不公正、气候危机和对我们民主的威胁”——是一个要求更多美国人的时刻，并说他相信美国将奋起应对这一时刻。
拜登说:“你们美国人民是我今天对美国从未如此乐观的原因。”。“没有什么是我们一起做不到的。”
Biden inauguration live updates: Biden takes over at White House
Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States shortly before noon on Wednesday.
Inauguration festivities end with fireworks display
The president and first lady emerged from the White House shortly before 10 p.m. to watch a fireworks display that ended the inaugural festivities on Wednesday night.
While the Bidens were on the Blue Room Balcony, the vice president and second gentleman watched from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where Harris had spoken to the public a few minutes earlier and where Katy Perry was performing her song, "Firework."
Harris addresses nation for 1st time since taking oath
Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the public for the first time since taking the oath of office during the "Celebrating America" inaugural program Wednesday night and she echoed Biden's call for unity and overcoming adversity.
"In many ways, this moment embodies our character as a nation. It demonstrates who we are," Harris said. "Even in dark times, we not only dream, we do. We not only see what has been, we see what can be. We shoot for the moon, and then we plant our flag on it. We are bold, fearless, and ambitious. We are undaunted in our belief that we shall overcome, that we will rise up. This is American aspiration."
The vice president referenced Abraham Lincoln's work with land grant colleges and the transcontinental railroad during the Civil War and Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight for racial justice during the Civil Rights Movement as aspirational moments.
"American aspiration is what drove the women of this nation throughout history to demand equal rights and the authors of the Bill of Rights to claim freedoms that had rarely been written down before," she said. "A great experiment takes great determination. The will to do the work and then the wisdom to keep refining, keep tinkering, keep perfecting."
This "same determination," she continued, "is being realized in America today," through the work of scientists and parents nurturing the next generation of educators and innovators.
"This, too, is American aspiration," she said. "This is what president Joe Biden has called upon us to summon now. The courage to see beyond crisis, to do what is hard, to do what is good, to unite, to believe in ourselves, believe in our country, believe in what we can do together."
Former presidents record message for Inauguration Day
Former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama highlighted the importance of a peaceful transfer of power in a new video message set to air Wednesday night, ABC News confirmed.
The video, organized by the inaugural committee, features a conversation with the leaders about upholding democracy and staying civically engaged.
The three were the only former presidents at the inauguration ceremony. Jimmy Carter was unable to attend and Donald Trump left the White House ahead of the swearing-in.
Biden: 'I've never been more optimistic about America'
The president continued to stress unity and optimism despite the challenges the U.S. faces during the inauguration's "Celebrating America" program Wednesday night.
"This is a great nation. We're a good people. And overcoming the challenges in front of us requires the most elusive things in a democracy -- unity," Biden said during live remarks from the Lincoln Memorial, after being introduced by host Tom Hanks.
"It requires us to come together in common love that defines us as Americans," he continued. "America's story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but all of us. On we, the people. That's the task before us."
He described this moment -- confronted with a "pandemic, economic crisis, racial injustice, a climate crisis, and threats to our very democracy" -- as one that asks more of Americans, and said he believes the country will rise to the occasion.
"You, the American people are the reason why I've never been more optimistic about America than I am this very day," Biden said. "There isn't anything we can't do if we do it together."
