Important points from Donald Trump's inauguration address

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Donald Trump vowed, but focused most of his inaugural speech on touting hardline policies to reverse what he called “American decline”.

In his address, the 47th president took aim at illegal immigration and the culture wars as he portrayed himself as a national saviour chosen by God.

These are the key takeaways from Trump’s inaugural address:

Promise of an American ‘golden age’

“The golden age of America begins right now. From this day forward our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world,” Trump said in the US Capitol, where his inauguration was held indoors for the first time in decades due to freezing weather.

‘Saved by God’ to rescue America

“The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one, that I can tell you. Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed to take my life. Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear, but I felt then and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.”

‘Only two genders’

Trump said his government’s policy would be that there are only two genders, male and female. The president has vowed to sign an executive order ending transgender rights in the US military and inside US schools.

“This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. We will forge a society that is colourblind and merit-based. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”

As for transgender athletes, he told a rally on Sunday he would act on his first day to stop the participation of trans athletes in women’s sports.

Immigration crackdown

“All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” Trump said.

“We will reinstate my ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy. I will end the practice of catch and release, and I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.

“Under the orders I signed today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organisations.

“And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to US soil, including our cities and inner cities.”

Donald Trump takes oath as he is surrounded by a group of people.

The bitter cold weather forced Trump’s inauguration indoors for the first time since Ronald Reagan’s in 1985. Source: EPA / Kevin Lamarque

Overseas wars and plans for peace

“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier. That’s what I want to be: a peacemaker and unifier. I’m pleased to say that as of yesterday, one day before I assumed office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to our family,” Trump said.

“We will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen. We will measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into.

“We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defence of foreign borders, but refuses to defend American borders, or, more importantly, its own people.”

Energy and climate

Trump said he would immediately declare a national energy emergency, promising to fill up strategic oil reserves and export US energy all over the world.

“We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it,” he said.

“With my actions today, we will end the Green New Deal, and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American autoworkers.”

According to a White House document, the US will also withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. In addition, Trump said he would revoke what he has called an electric vehicle mandate.

‘Stars and stripes on Mars’

“The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation, one that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations and carries our plan into new and beautiful horizons, and we will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars,” Trump said.

One of Trump’s closest advisers is tech billionaire Elon Musk, whose space company SpaceX has long had the goal of taking people to Mars.

Gulf of Mexico name change

“America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world. A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and we will restore the name of a great President William McKinley to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs.”

Taking back the Panama Canal

“Panama’s promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy, and above all, China is operating the Panama Canal and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama and we’re taking it back.”