"nightline" is next. thank you for watching, and god bless america. tonight, the changing of the guard. >> democracy has prevailed. >> joe biden, the 46th president of the united states. and vice president kamala harris. >> so help me, god. >> sworn into history before a field of flags. ♪ gave proof through the night ♪ >> and a sea of diverse faces. >> for there is always light if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it. >> how our nation's second in command is inspiring the next generation. and in a rare appearance, the message of unity from three former presidents. >> you've got all of us here rooting for your success.

>> plus breaking new ground at the white house. the sweeping policies launched by this new administration. and this unprecedented inauguration capped with a joyful nighttime celebration. this special edition of "nightline" will be right back. . neutrogena® hydro boost. the #1 hyaluronic acid moisturizer delivers 2x the hydration for supple, bouncy skin. neutrogena®. find your rhythm. your happy place. find your breaking point. then break it. every emergen-c gives you a potent blend of nutrients so you can emerge your best with emergen-c.

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thanks for joining us. today our nation witnessed a new chapter in american history unfold. on the same steps where insurrectionists desecrated the u.s. capitol two weeks ago, joe biden and kamala harris were sworn into office in a peaceful transfer of power, vowing to unite a divided nation. >> i, joseph robinette biden jr., do solemnly swear -- >> that i will faithfully execute -- execute --will faithfully >> the office of president of the united states. >> the office of president of the united states. >> congratulation, mr. president. >> reporter: an oath 70 years in the making. now the 46th president of the united states along with his history-making vice president, kamala harris, the first woman, first black, first south asian vp. >> that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states -- >> against all enemies, foreign and domestic -- >>air inheriting

a fractured america. >> we face an attack on our democracy and on truth, a raging virus, growing inequity, the sting of systemic racism, a climate in crisis, america's role in the world. any one of these would be enough to challenge us in profound ways. >> reporter: he called for a stop to pitting red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative against liberal. >> this is our historic moment of crisis and challenge and unity is the path forward. >> reporter: in our country's moment of crisis, the new commander in chief heading straight to work, signing a stack of executive orders. >> the state of the nation today, there's no time to waste, get to work immediately. >> the whole register of the day was different. it was less entertaining and more serious. but almost because we were

taking things seriously in the ceremony, in the speech, that was a relief, and even -- even a joy to people. it felt like a return to normalcy. >> reporter: the day began like no other inauguration day in modern history, with the outgoing president breaking with over 150 years of tradition, refusing to attend the ceremony, leaving town early. but vowing to return to the public eye in some form. >> have a good life. we will see you soon. thank you. thank you very much. >> donald trump refusing to show up for the inauguration of joe biden and honor our democracy was his last act of vandalism on it. >> reporter: it was just two weeks ago today when these images shocked the nation and the world. today the west front of the capitol reverting to its traditional backdrop. >> i literally held my brett as they were walking up the stairs for the ceremony.

and then that moment when they walked with their families where i felt this like peaceful -- ah. >> reporter: one of the heroes of the insurrection escorting kamala harris today. capitol police officer eugene goodman, who in a split-second decision steered a mob away from the senate chamber at the capitol. the audience socially distanced, restricted in size due to the pandemic and the spread of violence triggered by the outgoing president still looming. some members of congress even wearing body armor to the ceremony. >> the fact that it went off well, that we didn't allow fear, we didn't allow individuals who wanted to sacrifice our democracy for their own benefit. >> reporter: 25 miles of fencing erected around washington. and 35,000 security personnel deployed. an unprecedented level of security to protect guests, including all the living presidents except jimmy carter, and the now-former vice president, mike pence. the tone somber, but hopeful.

>> 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. >> reporter: lady gaga sporting a dove with an olive branch. ♪ this land is your land ♪ >> reporter: j. lo injecting latina pride into the occasion. ♪ this land is my land ♪ >> reporter: country singer garth brooks, a republican, encouraging viewers at home to join together. >> i'm asking you to sing this last verse with me. not just the people here, the people at home. work as one united. ♪ amazing grace ♪ >> reporter: but it was the national youth poet lawyer yet

amanda gordon reading a poem she wrote after the assault on the capitol who captured our imaginations. >> when day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade? the loss we carry, a sea we must wade. we braved the belly of the beast. we've learned that quiet isn't always peace, and the norms and notions of what just is, isn't always justice. >> reporter: the 22-year-old invited by first lady jill biden. >> and we lay down our arms, we can reach out our arms to one another, we seek harm to none and harmony for all. >> she, like joe biden, suffer from a speech impediment and overcame that. she's a shining example of what's great about not only our country's present but our future. >> reporter: at 78, biden is the oldest person to be sworn in as president. in 1972, when he was first sworn into the senate, it was in a

hospital next to his young sons who had been injured in a car accident that killed his wife and infant daughter. hunter and his half sister ashley at their father's side today. his son beau died of brain cancer during biden's second term as vice president. 100 miles away at beau biden's grave in delaware, a lone man in uniform silently paying tribute. vice president harris honored by her alma mater, howard university. [ bell tolling ] 49 bells ringing to celebrate harris as the 49th vice president of the united states. women and girls watching harris breaking barriers. >> it means so much that people look like me in the white house. >> as a woman it's empowering to see a woman vice president. as a mother it means that my children will not only hear that they can be anything they want to be, they can see it too. >> i hope you are a wonderful vice president.

i can't believe you are indian, just like me. >> women across the country are wearing their pearls and their chucks in solidarity with this woman who has gotten to this very, very high office. she wore her purple, and her very famous line which i love, and it gives me chills every time. "i may be the first, but i will not be the last." >> the chair lays before the senate two certificates of election for the state of georgia and a serf appointment to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former senator kamala d. harris of california. [ laughter and applause ] yeah, that was very weird, okay. >> reporter: as the newly minted vp, harris swearing in those three history-making democratic senators. her successor, alex padilla, california's first latino

senator. as well as georgia's new senators, reverend raphael warnock and jon ossoff, the first black and jewish senators from georgia. at 33, the youngest democrat elected since joe biden in 1972. vmt pmt harris now the crucial tiebreaker in the senate with a 50/50 party split, making new york senator charles schumer senate majority leader -- you've got the majority you need. i think you look forward and what you do is you hope, and you also pressure republicans to stand up and fight for people too. you know, republicans won't get off the hook. >> reporter: biden begins his presidency with an approval rating of 68%. he and harris committing to building building one of the most diverse cabinets in american history. >> i think they understand that in this moment, they get the chance to really set the standard for the future. >> reporter: with a pared-down parade and much less pomp and circumstance, the new administration set to work immediately. biden's first act as president,

those 17 executive orders. one asking americans to wear face masks for 100 days. others reversing president trump's most controversial acts, including revoking the so-called muslim travel ban, rejoining the paris climate agreement, and preserving the daca program. there was one inauguration day tradition left intact, a letter to the new president from the outgoing one. left in the oval office, though the contents remain a mystery. >> because it was private, i will not talk about it until i talk to him. but it was generous. >> reporter: the next order of business, donald trump's impeachment trial. once house speaker nancy pelosi sends it to the senate, which could happen as early as tomorrow. ♪ tonight, a star-studded virtual celebration. including a message from three former presidents. >> i think all of us discovered that we're at our best when we're all moving in the same direction.

>> reporter: with one theme. unity. >> we are bold, fearless, and ambitious. we are undaunted in our belief that we shall overcome, that we will rise up. coming up, how president joe biden plans to move the country forward. ♪ ♪ (quiet piano music) ♪ ♪ comfort in the extreme. the lincoln family of luxury suvs.

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for the brand-new biden administration, today was a day of celebration but the work

already under way. to down the ceremony and the road ahead, i spoke to ana navarro, heatdy heitkamp, and tara setmayer. thank you for joining us at the end of a long yet historic day. heidi, you were among the few there in person at joe biden's socially distanced swearing-in, your seventh inauguration, i understand. you called the ceremony a bipartisan sigh of relief. what was going on in your mind? >> i think everybody is just tired of the drama, and they want to get to the business of governing. joe biden outlined just all of the challenges ahead of us. and they know now, instead of worrying about a tweet or about craziness coming out of the white house, there's going to be a very reasoned and contentious, i think, debate about how do we tackle america's greatest issues? it was always about america, it's no longer about donald trump. and that's a sigh of relief.

>> he has a huge inbox. what is on joe biden's priority list right now, heidi? >> well, i think clearly the pandemic. because you can't hear appeals for the economy without figuring out the pandemic. i also think he's looking long-term to income inequality, how do you fix that? he's looking at climate, he's looking at securing a better future globally for our country by working more cooperatetively with our allies. >> tara, president trump quite pointedly was not in attendance today. and now that he's no longer in the white house, no longer on twitter, as a former republican, how do you think his power over the republican party changes and how are the political lines going to be redrawn for senate impeachment trials? >> so i think that it was appropriate for the moment that we're in that donald trump was not there today. his absence was notable, but appropriate, given the trail of destruction he's left in his wake. his hold on the republican party

seems to be rather strong, despite his role in a violent insurrection. we saw how many republicans still voted to contest the election, the free and fair results of the election of joe biden, which was very disconcerting. you know, the fact that he's been deplatformed and he's in a lot of legal and business peril post-presidency could, perhaps, sway some to move away from him. but if the pardoning of steve bannon and bringing him back into his orbit is any indication of the future that donald trump is looking toward, starting a new party or faction'ing some of the republicans off, republicans have a real problem and they need to have a soul-searching reckoning about what the future of the party will be. i see civil war in the republican party if they continue to go down the road of donald trump and trumpism. >> that's a dire prediction. ana, joe biden said he wants to unify the country, that was his main message. then he signed 17 executive

orders, many reversing trump administration actions. does that risk alienating the 74 million americans who voted for trump, who joe biden said today he was appealing to? >> i don't think his main concern is alienating the 74 million people that voted for trump. i think his concern is, what are the urgent issues that need to be done right now in america, that need to be addressed? that's what he should be doing. i think when he calls for unity, it's a lot about tone. what he talked about was not having things rise to the level where it is a civil war, as tara just mentioned. i love joe biden. i want to help joe biden. i want to cooperate with joe biden. but i'm very angry. i'm very angry at the lack of accountability and the lack of responsibility that so many republicans are not taking in their role in turning donald trump into the frankenstein, the

political monster, that he turned into. and so for me, it's very hard to get to unity when there is no acknowledgement of responsibility and accountability. >> let's linger in the history-making of today. give me your defining moment from today. >> oh, for me, no ifs, ands or buts. listen. seeing the first woman vice president and a woman of color being sworn in. and being sworn in by the first latina on the supreme court, the wise latina herself, sonia sotomayor. using the bible of the first black supreme court justice, thurgood marshall. the historic significance of that had me in tears. >> absolutely. heidi? >> honestly, if amanda gorman, the poet laureate, is the future of this country, we are in terrific hands. she was amazing. and brought the spirit of youth

and unity. i was moved beyond tears to hear her. >> absolutely. >> and i'm so grateful. >> thank you all, ladies, for joining us. tara, i'm sorry we're out of time, but i'm sure that your thoughts are just as memorable as are all of ours. thanks again for your time. >> democracy won today, that's my thought. >> that's a great thought to end with, thanks, ladies. up next on this historic day, the moments that inspired and empowered americans. shall i put her in snow mode? nope! what about off-road mode? nah. sport mode it is. let's see what this baby can do. or... we could check out that farmers market? no! you know what? i'll be in chill mode... (button click) if anyone needs me. propilot assist with navi-link. available on the all-new nissan rogue. kim is now demonstrating her congestion. save it slimeball. i've upgraded to mucinex.

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♪ finally tonight, we leave you with the majestic moments from the inauguration that made us pause and reflect on what it means to be an american. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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