Joe Biden To Be Sworn In As The 46th US President Today, Inaugural Speech To Focus On 'Unity'

US President-elect Joe Biden is all set to take charge as the 46th President of the United States today. The swearing-in ceremony will be held in Washington DC on Wednesday as soon as the clock strikes noon (8.30 pm IST). The Democrat leader will be sworn in by US Chief Justice John Roberts at the West Front of the Capitol.

Biden in his inaugural speech is expected to speak on the theme of strengthening unity in the United States. He will take the oath on his 127-year-old family Bible, reports claimed. The inaugural ceremony will include musical performances, poetry reading and the Pledge of Allegiance.

The 78-year-old leader returned to Washington DC on Tuesday, four years after he left for his hometown in Delaware.

“I am honoured to be your next President and Commander in Chief,” Biden, told his fellow Delawareans before boarding a private plane for Joint Air Force Base Andrews on his way to Washington DC. “I will always be a proud son of the state of Delaware,” he said.

Biden’s inaugural remarks at the US Capitol soon after he takes charge later today, “will be a forward-looking vision for his presidency while addressing the moment we are living in as a country. The speech is built around the theme of unity,” advisors close to the President-elect said. The speech is likely to last between 20 and 30 minutes. The theme of the speech is ‘America United’.

The US President-elect has been in public life for nearly five decades ever since he was elected as the youngest United States Senator from Delaware in 1973.

During his short speech at his hometown, Biden became emotional with tears rolling down his face. "This is kind of emotional," Biden said as he wiped a tear from his eye. "It's deeply personal that our journey to Washington starts here," he said, talking about the national guard building in Delaware named after his son Beau.

Biden said that 12 years ago Barack Obama, a Black man, greeted him at the train platform before he became his Vice President, and now he departs to "meet a Black woman of South Asian descent" to become President and Vice President.

Kamala Harris, 56, will be the first ever woman Vice President and also the first African American and India-origin person to occupy the second most powerful position in the US.

(With PTI inputs)