On 20 January 2017, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States
During his inauguration speech on this day in 2017, Donald Trump said that he was taking “an oath of allegiance to all Americans”.
Four years later, he is leaving office as the first US president to be impeached twice, with a trial due in the Senate in the coming weeks.
Mr Trump’s first term in office came during a time of political polarisation across America and dysfunction in Washington DC, making his presidency among the most contentious in US history.
He curtailed immigration, abandoned international treaties, alienated longtime US allies, praised authoritarian foreign leaders, exhibited deference to longtime American adversary Russia, secured deep tax cuts that especially benefited the rich and corporations and vilified opposition Democrats.
Mr Trump led a disjointed US government response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic – downplaying its seriousness, casting doubt on protective masks and predicting the pathogen’s miraculous disappearance – that many medical experts said worsened the public health crisis and cost lives.
This gallery looks back at some of the many memorable moments of a former reality television star who became the 45th President of the United States.
There will be special coverage of the US Presidential Inauguration on RTÉ One at 3.50pm
German Chancellor Angela Merkel deliberates with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada. Other leaders seen in the picture are French president Emmanuel Macron and then British prime minister Theresa MayDonald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet in Singapore in June 2018. They were the first sitting leaders of their countries to meet, shake hands and negotiate to end a decades-old nuclear stand-offBefore delivering his annual State of the Union address in February 2020, Donald Trump refused to shake the proffered hand of top Democrat, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Ms Pelosi later ripped up a print out of Mr Trump’s speech as he finished itDonald Trump holds a Bible while visiting St John’s Church across from the White House in June 2020. He made his way to the church after the area was cleared of people protesting the death of George FloydBuilding a wall along the US/Mexico border was a big part of Donald Trump’s campaign in 2016. Last June he attended a ceremony marking the 200th mile of the border wall, which remains incomplete. It was not funded by Mexico – which he pledged would happenIn October 2020, the President and First Lady tested positive for Covid-19. Donald Trump was treated at a military hospital and said he was “immune” when discharged. Here he is pictured taking off a face covering after arriving back at the White HouseIn the early hours of 4 November 2020, Donald Trump refused to admit defeat to Joe Biden. In the days and weeks that followed he spread baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud, and claimed that he won the vote by a landslideEarlier this month Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol as Congress gathered to certify Joe Biden’s win in the election. A week later, Trump became the first US president to be impeached twice as the House charged him with inciting an insurrection
