US swears in Donald Trump as its 45th President

Donald Trump takes the oath of office in the presence of wife Melania, and his children Barron, Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany. Pic/AP

Washington: Pledging to empower America's "forgotten men and women", Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th USâÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088President last night, taking command of a deeply divided nation and ushering in an unpredictable era in Washington. His victory gives Republicans control of the White House for the first time in eight years.

President Donald Trump gestures after being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Pic/AP

Looking out over the crowd, Trump painted a bleak picture of the nation he now leads, lamenting crime, shuttered factories and depleted American leadership. He vowed to stir "new national pride," bring jobs back to the US, and "eradicate completely" Islamic terrorism.

A customer holds a traditional Russian wooden doll, Matryoshka, depicting the two USA Âu00c2u0088Presidents. Pic/AP

The pomp and pageantry of the inaugural festivities were also shadowed by questions about Trump's ties to Russia, which US intelligence agencies have determined worked to tip the election in his favour.

In a show of solidarity, all living American Presidents attended the swearing-in ceremony, except for George HW Bush, who was hospitalised this week with pneumonia.

('Russian for ‘Welcome')