'Extraordinary return to power': How the media reacted to Donald Trump's inauguration

Donald Trump takes the oath of office at the 60th presidential inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington. Picture: Kevin Lamarque via AP

The world is waking up after Donald Trump's inauguration as US president on Monday. 

Mr Trump marked his first day in office by signing a flurry of executive orders, making sweeping changes to the economy, immigration and climate change policies.

Here, we take a look at how some of the major publications from around the world covered the event.

US 

The New York Times led with "Trump caps return to power vowing to stop a US decline".

The newspaper said: "Trump completed an extraordinary return to power on Monday as he was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States and opened an immediate blitz of actions to begin drastically changing the course of the country and usher in a new 'golden age of America'." 

New York Times front page, January 21, 2025

In a piece by the paper's White House correspondent Michael D Shear, it says: "If his first inaugural address was a relentlessly dark vision of 'American carnage', President Trump made his second one a paean to the power of one person’s ability to rescue a nation — specifically his.

The 47th president’s 29-minute address on Monday, just after noon, painted an even bleaker portrait of a country in disarray, one seized by 'years of a radical and corrupt establishment', with the pillars of society 'broken and seemingly in complete disrepair'.

The headline on the Washington Post reads "Trump's stark vision", with the front page dedicated to the ceremony, his speech and the executive orders he has signed. The paper says Mr Trump "turned Monday's traditional Inauguration Day ceremonies into something untraditional". 

"It’s long been said that elections have consequences," writes Dan Balz. "There may be no better example than what transpired under the dome of the Capitol Rotunda on a blustery and bitterly cold day in the nation’s capital. On Day 1 of his second term, Trump showed how profound those consequences could be as he signaled his determination to move as quickly as possible to make good on his campaign promises."

On the front page of the Wall Street Journal, the paper leads with "Defiant Trump Regains Power." 

A picture of Trump taking the oath of office dominates the top half of the paper, with a subheadline: "New President is sworn in to cap remarkable comeback."  

Front page of Wall Street Journal, January 21 2025 Source: Twitter/X

Britain

In Britain, a lead article from The Times describes Mr Trump’s inaugural address as an “uncompromising agenda for power”. The newspaper said the president had an “emboldened” and “unshackled” America-first agenda.

Similar sentiments were echoed by the Daily Telegraph, which writes Mr Trump’s opening address had a “distinctly messianic” quality to it, referencing how God “saved” him from an assassination attempt last year. The newspaper said Mr Trump was delivering a “revolution” within hours, and “banishing woke” from public life.

The Daily Mirror holds a less optimistic view of the incoming Trump administration. An editorial from the newspaper said the world was “holding its breath” amid a “vengeful and vindictive” return to the White House.

“Keir Starmer and the UK government need expert diplomacy, gushing flattery and good fortune to avert disasters from a trade war which would be damaging for both countries,” the paper says.

“Not to mention climate vandalism and the abandonment of swathes of Ukraine to Trump’s pal Vladimir Putin.” 

Similarly, The Guardian calls Mr Trump’s opening address as president a “facade” and a “rightwing call to arms against his enemies”.

The Guardian's front page for Tuesday

The Independent, meanwhile, lauds Keir Starmer’s “pragmatic” approach to handling the new president. “He should resist pressure from those urging him to 'stand up' to Mr Trump and ignore the unhelpful noises,” the newspaper says.

The front page of the Financial Times described the event with the headline 'Golden age of America begins now' accompanied by a picture of Mr Trump, holding the hand of his wife Melania, after taking the oath of office.

The newspaper said: "Donald Trump promised a 'new golden age of America', as he used his inaugural address yesterday to unveil sweeping moves to undo Joe Biden's policies and reverse a 'crisis of trust' he said had engulfed the government."

In a piece by James Politi in Washington, the paper says: "The new US president announced aggressive steps to boost energy production and curb immigration as he vowed to deliver quickly on the populist and nationalist platform that swept him to victory in last year's presidential race."

In France, Le Monde's lead story was not about Mr Trump, but about the ceasefire in Gaza. However, a cartoon of Mr Trump swearing the oath of office is placed at the bottom of the page. The cartoon shows Mr Trump holding a matchstick in his right hand, while his left hand is placed on a burning book.

Le Monde's front page on Tuesday.

Ireland 

Closer to home, the Irish Examiner devotes the top half of the front page to Mr Trump's swearing-in as the 47th president of the United States. 

The lead story, by Political Editor Elaine Loughlin and David Morgan, highlights the 78-year-old's pledge to rescue America from what he described as years of betrayal and decline. 

"I was saved by God to make America great again," is the headline of the story, referencing Trump's assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last year. 

Tuesday's Irish Examiner front page.

Elsewhere, the Irish Times describes Mr Trump's return to the White House as "a new era of upheaval." 

It says "American history spins towards a new unguessable chapter."

The Irish Independent leads with the headline "Nothing will stand in our way", above a photo of Trump taking the oath of office to become the 47th US president.