Joe Biden was sworn in on January 20th as the 46th president of the United States. Biden called for unity in a time of severe crisis, saying overcoming challenges “requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy unity.” He acknowledged that “healing the nation’s soul is not easy” but he will be a “president for all Americans” and will “fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.” Three former presidents, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton attended the inauguration ceremony. Many traditional activities were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 25,000 National Guard troops and other security forces were brought in to protect the city.
 After he took office, Biden immediately signed several new executive orders to change policies enacted under the Trump administration. Among them were orders to require face coverings on all federal property and to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord. He also undid Trump’s anti-immigration policies, including opening a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. He lifted a ban barring travel from several Muslimmajority countries.

　拜登一月二十日宣誓就職，成為美國第四十六屆總統。拜登呼籲在面臨嚴峻危機之際更要團結。他說，克服挑戰，「需要民主最難企及的東西——團結。」他坦言，「療癒國家靈魂不是件容易的事」，但他會當「全美國人的總統」，「為那些不支持我的人努力奮鬥，一如為那些支持我的人努力。」三位前總統歐巴馬、小布希、柯林頓都親臨這場就職典禮。因為新冠疫情，許多傳統活動被迫取消。約有兩萬五千名國民兵與安全部隊駐守，保護華府安全。
　拜登就任後，立即簽署數項行政命令，變更川普政府實施的政策，包括規定在全國聯邦機構內必須配戴口罩、重新加入《巴黎氣候協定》等。拜登進一步推翻川普的反移民政策，將為一千一百萬無證移民打開取得公民身分的途徑。此外，也取消針對多個穆斯林國家的旅遊禁令。