A presidential inauguration is traditionally a symbol of the traditions that bind Americans together. Mainstream media coverage on Monday provided many reminders of what keeps people apart.
On the Martin Luther King Day holiday, news organizations offered wall-to-wall coverage of President Donald Trump's second inaugural, an event held largely indoors in Washington because of frigid temperatures.
In many respects, it was a return to normal after Trump did not attend successor Joe Biden's swearing in four years ago. The ceremony offered images of bipartisanship that 鈥渢he country to some extent is hungry for,鈥� said NBC News' Kristen Welker.
A few hours later, historian Jon Meacham was on the same network declaring that Trump had given 鈥渢he most partisan inaugural that I think I know of in American history.鈥� He said he was stunned that religious figures called to deliver invocations seemed to take sides as well. 鈥淲hen religion is used to divide and exalt one side over the other, we are in a place where we need to take care,鈥� Meacham said.
On CNN, conservative commentator Scott Jennings praised Trump's speech as remarkable, saying he enjoyed the chance to 鈥渨atch Donald Trump indict the gangsters to their faces,鈥� referring to Biden and some of his supporters.
CBS' Norah O'Donnell said it was unusual to see so many attendees of the inauguration leaping to their feet to applaud Trump's promises and declarations of the weak state he finds the country in. 鈥淚t was notable," she said, 鈥渢hat none of the former presidents stood up and applauded during the inaugural address.鈥�
Divisions become more evident as day's coverage went on
Some of the divisions that marked Trump's first term became more evident as the day went on.
When Trump addressed supporters in Emancipation Hall shortly after his inaugural, the speech was carried on all of the broadcast networks, CNN and Fox News Channel. But left-leaning MSNBC didn't show much of it and instead showed former President Biden addressing his supporters at the same time 鈥� while silencing the voice of the current president on a split screen.
After Trump spoke in that second speech, CNN's Jake Tapper noted that 鈥渢here were a lot of falsehoods鈥� and brought in a fact-checker to go over the remarks. He introduced correspondent Kaitlan Collins to report from the event 鈥渂efore they kick her out.鈥� It harkened back to Trump's battles with CNN when he was first in office.
Some news websites offered wildly divergent reports after Trump's inaugural address.
鈥淭rump Declares MAGAfest Destiny in Crazy 鈥楽aved by God鈥� Rant,鈥� headlined the Daily Beast. The Daily Wire reported on a different grievance: 鈥淏iden, Harris Stay Seated as Trump Gets Standing Ovations Talking About God Saving His Life.鈥� MSNBC highlighted an opinion piece on its website: 鈥淒onald Trump is Still Not King.鈥�
Two of the billionaires in control the nation's biggest social media sites 鈥� Elon Musk, owner of X, and Meta leader Mark Zuckerberg 鈥� both had prime seats at the inaugural. Fellow tech titans Jeff Bezos 鈥� also owner of The Washington Post 鈥� Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai were also visible.
"The new world order of American politics,鈥� ABC News' David Muir called them, a description that Musk, who has railed against mainstream media and stands to benefit from doing so, certainly would have appreciated.
鈥淭his is what victory feels like,鈥� an exuberant Musk later told an audience at an inaugural event, adding: 鈥淭his was no ordinary victory. This was a fork in the road of human civilization.鈥�
A day to make note of Fox News' ascendancy
At Fox News Channel, it was a day to take note of its own (re)ascendancy. Its cameras caught host Laura Ingraham walking in to the inaugural as a guest, pausing to take a selfie with incoming border czar Tom Homan. Former Fox host Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee as defense secretary, mingled with other appointees. Cameras even briefly caught a smiling former Fox personality Tucker Carlson.
鈥淚t is a spectacular day in Washington, D.C.," Fox host Martha MacCallum said. She referred, in part, to blue skies over the city but also said 鈥� echoing Trump 鈥� that the country could be entering a golden era.
鈥淭his is a tremendous changing of the guard,鈥� said Larry Kudlow, a Fox host and former official in Trump's first administration.
Fox commentator Brit Hume mentioned the 鈥渆xtravagant promises鈥� of Trump's inaugural address. 鈥淭he greatest four years of American history are about to begin,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ell, one hopes that turns out to be true. But it's quite a big promise.鈥�
On Newsmax, another network that appeals to conservative viewers, Chuck Holton noted that none of the 鈥渞ioters鈥� who protested Trump's inauguration in 2017 were on hand this year. He suggested that their anger dissipated because temperatures were so cold outside.
The New York Times headlined its coverage: 鈥淭rump Says He'll End U.S. 鈥楧ecline,鈥欌�� noting that he was casting himself as the rescuer of a nation in disarray. Similarly, the Post said that Trump promised an immediate reversal of many U.S. policies 鈥渋n vow to end 鈥楢merica鈥檚 decline.'鈥�
The news websites, along with The Associated Press, of a remarkable promised and issued by Trump during his first day back in office. ___
This story has been corrected to show that Norah O鈥橠onnell works at CBS, not CNN.
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David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at and
David Bauder, The Associated Press
