‘Emboldened’, ‘vindictive’ – papers react to Donald Trump’s inauguration
Mr Trump marked his first day in office by signing a flurry of executive orders.
The nation’s papers have delivered a mixed response to the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
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.
A leading 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.
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.
It also issued a cautionary word to British diplomats, warning: “… Mr Trump’s exceptionalist America First approach will come at a cost to traditional allies like the UK.
“As a mercantilist nation, Britain must trumpet the benefits of free trade, which generates growth, reduces poverty and ultimately makes everyone better off.”
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 “rightwing call to arms against his enemies”.
And The Independent, meanwhile, lauds Sir 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.
“Sir Keir must live in the real world where compromises must be made and deals struck with a president who, as Germany’s Angela Merkel recalled in her memoirs, ‘judged everything from the perspective of the property entrepreneur he had been before politics’”.
