'Confrontational, angry' inaugural address leaves no doubt about which side Trump's on

It was classicDonald Trump ahard-hitting campaign-style inauguration speech by the newpresident of the United States thatused"Americafirst" populistrhetoric,attackedWashington insiders and decried the state of the country.

"Heisa president like noother, and his inaugural address is withoutparallelin recent memory," said Michael Cornfield, associate professor of political management at George Washington University in D.C.

"It wasconfrontational,angry, populist, plain-spoken, and there were moments ofinspirationforthosewho feel put-upon by Washington."

I don't think he did much to reach out to those who opposed him or didn't vote for him.- Eric Foner, historian, Columbia University

The president, who uncharacteristically stuck to the teleprompter during the 16-minute address,aimed his remarksdirectly at his millions of supporters. Hehad little to say to hisopponents, who continue to question his legitimacy, point to the fact he lost the popularvote and plan to continue to protest his presidency over the coming days.

"Fair enough, [his supporters] got him elected, but I don't think he did much to reach out to those who opposed him or didn't vote for him," said Columbia University history professor Eric Foner.

Missed the inauguration? Watch the whole thing in just 2 minutes

8 years ago

Duration 2:08

Highlights from the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States

In 2000, for example, George W. Bush,wholike Trumphad lostthe popular vote butwhose victory hinged on the U.S. Supreme Court, had a special obligation to try to unite the country,said Hans Noel, an associate professor of political scienceat Georgetown University in Washington.

"His address had repeated references to unity and a shared American community. Some critics thought it rang hollow, but it was a deliberate attempt. Trump did not make that attempt."

• WATCH | The inauguration in 2 minutes
• RECAP |Trump's inauguration: review our live blog of the day's events
• Five most-memorable presidential inauguration performances

Despite a bitter and divisive campaign, Trump madeno acknowledgementof his political rival, Democratic presidential nomineeHillary Clinton, who attended, all smiles, with her husband, former president Bill Clinton. And he made only brief mention of Barack Obama,but only to thank the now-former president and first lady for their help through the transition.

Vintage Trump

Instead, the address was vintage Trump,rehashingsomeof the same-old fiery campaign slogans and themes he used on the trail:makeAmerica great again, put America first,bringback jobs and securethe borders.

Trump was more defiant anddivisive, delivering aspeech that was lessaspirational, less focusedonwhatAmericans cando together,said EricSchnure, a formerspeechwriterfor Al Gore, who served as vice-president under Bill Clinton.

You want to hearsomeonespeak about the values that define the Americanideal, and youwant them to do that in an optimistic fashion. And this was not that.- EricSchnure,formerspeechwriterfor Al Gore

"You tuneinto an inaugural address, and you want to hearsomeonespeak about the values that define the Americanideal, and youwant them to do that in an optimistic fashion," Schnure said. "And this was not that."

Trump ripped into theD.C. establishment, accusing them of reaping the rewards of government "while the people have borne the cost." The politicians' victories have not been theirvictories, he said, and while the politicianscelebrated,the people struggled.

"January 20th, 2017," he said, "will be remembered as the day the peoplebecame the rulers of this nation again."

Cornfield says the speechsounded "very angry" and like "classic populism."

"Establishment versus the people, and leaving no doubt which side he was on," the professor said.

Trumpportrayeda bleak America of rusted-out factories "scattered like tombstones,"where poverty, crime, drugs and guns are rampant in inner cities.

He spoke about rebuilding infrastructureand, usingparticularly vividlanguage,vowed that "this American carnage stops right here and stops right now."

Trump: 'The establishment protected itself'

8 years ago

Duration 0:58

Trump: 'The establishment protected itself'

It's that concrete, dystopianlanguage that characterized Trump's address, saidSchnure, who is also an adjunct professor of public communication at American University in Washington.

"The most famousline of this speech is going tobe 'American carnage,'" hesaid.

• PHOTOS | Highlights from the inauguration
• Watch and read Trump's inaugural address

But Foner says using such grim language might have been a shrewd move. By painting such a bleak picture of the nation, Trumpcan nowclaim he's responsible for any improvement.

Trump also hammered home his America-first pledge, promising that, from this day forward, every decision, whether it be on trade, taxes, immigration or foreign affairs, would be guided by the principle that it must benefit American workers and families.

"We will follow two simple rules:buy American and hire American," he said.

There were also differences with some of his previous speeches. When he did speak about unity, he invoked religion, something very typical of an inaugural address, said Aaron Kall, director of debate at theUniversity of Michiganand editorofI Do Solemnly Swear: Presidential Inaugural Addresses of the Last Forty Years.

He says Trump's remarks were much more tempered when hemade reference to the Bible and how it "tells us how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity."

"We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly but always pursue solidarity," the president said.

Trump, who has had a rocky time discussing religion in public, handledthat well, Kall said.

"He tied that directly to unity, trying to unify the country and to having a good hard-line stance against things like prejudice and racism."

Campaign mode

And he seemed to givea nod to John F. Kennedy's 1961 inaugural address, sayingthe U.S. stands ready to "unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease and to harness the energies, industries and technologies oftomorrow."(Kennedy,for his part, had called on Americans to "explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce.")

Trump: 'This American carnage...stops right now'

8 years ago

Duration 0:56

Trump: 'This American carnage...stops right now'

The speech also hada similar theme to the 1981 inaugural address of Ronald Reagan, which Trump had earlier suggested he would pattern his address after. Both attacked the government, but Trump lashed out at the political powerbrokers themselveswhile Reagan, more philosophically, argued that government as a whole had become too obtrusive and championed the power of the individual.

"I thought we'd see a more sunny tone today," Kall said.

Mostly, the speech was one of a president still in campaign mode and similar to addresses Trump gave at political rallies and at the Republican national convention in Cleveland in July.

• Trump vows to end 'American carnage'
• ANALYSIS|How history could make strange bedfellows of Obama and Trump

Putting aside whether one agrees with his positions, his address was no different than a campaign speech, Foner said.

"Normally, [presidents] try to elevate their rhetoric a little bit or speak more broadly to the nation."