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But, as Trump said, Thursday’s speeches were secondary performances, warm-ups for the inaugural. He said that speech would be “the big one.”

And he did his best to make it so. After being sworn he delivered an unsmiling and ludicrously over-confident speech. It was Trump squared, more Trumpish than anything he said when seeking the presidency. Once more he revealed himself as a fantasist, an ignorant outsider who still had no notion of how governments work. He appealed to the millions who voted for him but entirely ignored those who voted for Hillary Clinton, not to mention the hundreds of women in various countries (including Canada) taking part in anti-Trump demonstrations this weekend).

Those who hoped that a slightly more reasonable Trump would appear at the inauguration were totally disappointed.

In one bizarre twist of egomania, he announced that this day, January 20, 2017, would be known in history as the day when everything changed. He spoke as if everything he promised in campaigning was about to come to pass, just because he ordered it.

The borders will be hardened, the military will be revived, the American infrastructure will be repaired, the jobs will be brought back from foreign countries that took them, the schools will be improved, the dangerous districts will be rendered safe. And every issue will be decided on one principle —” America First.” That phrase appeared several times. As the infrastructure is improved, it will always be done by American labour. And there is no shame in that. He said countries all over the world favour their own citizens above foreigners. He said America too will follow that practice, except that America can do it better than anyone else.