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Biden inauguration: Katy's anthem, Bernie's mittens

and other moments
7 hours ago

REUTERS

Joe and Jill Biden catch the fireworks from the White House balcony

Joe Biden is officially president, Kamala Harris is the country's first Madam Vice-President and
Donald Trump flew off to play golf - all of that we expected.

But here's a look at those inauguration day moments you might have missed, some solemn, some
emotional, but also the podium wipe guy.

i k
Katy Perry's Firework

It was hard to find any downbeat comments aer the white-clad Katy fired off her epic anthem to
close out the day in front of the Washington Monument - as the Bidens stood watching from their
balcony.

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Although Firework as a song has drawn many interpretations, from sex to firework safety to LGBT
rights, it seemed a pretty good fit here.

The exploding background didn't do any harm, but the lyrics weren't too off track either.

"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag/Driing through the wind, wanting to start again?"

Well-known Twitch streamer hasanabi tweeted "katy perry is right, trump DID make me feel like
plastic bag!"

Oh, and the song swept back into the US iTunes chart of course.

That's how it all ended but let's go back to the start...

His way

Before Joe took over, Donald first had to leave.

Perhaps not all of the Trump administration could be called carefully choreographed, but the
strains of Frank Sinatra's My Way ringing out as Air Force One swept Mr Trump out of the
presidency and off to Florida is hard to fault.

Air Force One leaves Joint Base Andrews, with US President Donald Trump onboard for the final
time – as the Frank Sinatra song, My Way, plays out across the air basehttps://t.co/AbQxlbyS9h
pic.twitter.com/UFAH2VgJic
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 20, 2021

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View original tweet on Twitter

We can't say for sure he planned it himself and the other tunes banging out at Andrews base - like
Elton John's Funeral for a Friend - were hard to parse for some.

Mr Trump's a big fan of Sinatra apparently. Though it's not reciprocated - Sinatra's daughter,
Nancy, said her father loathed the then real estate mogul.

The other Trumpism drawing attention was Melania's outfit change.

It was quickly pointed out that Mrs Trump had used her flight from Andrews to Florida to quickly
update her wardrobe to suit her new, post-first lady life.
 GETTY IMAGES

Melania looked somewhat funereal as she le the White House...

REUTERS

... but landed in Florida with a colourful, chic and pricey Gucci dress

Some noted her relaxed smile aer touching down in Florida - an apparent contrast to her
demeanour at her husband's inauguration four years ago.

And on to the inauguration ceremony...

Bernie: his mittens, his envelope, his style

The first sensation came from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders with his sensible choices for
Washington's near-freezing weather - an outdoorsy jacket with woollen mittens accoutred with a
brown manila envelope.

Channelling a grumpy uncle at a February wedding or a man in an unheated waiting room, he

brought new glory to the timeworn philosophy of bringing yourself and nothing else to an
occasion.

The internet was quick with the Bernie memes 😭 pic.twitter.com/ymtP3YIOQA

— Natasha 𓇼 (@ndelriego) January 20, 2021

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View original tweet on Twitter

It's clearly a creed that President Biden's choice for Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, ascribes to as
she too was pictured wearing a cold-defying black parka, a face mask and black gloves. And a
BYOB (bring your own blanket).

everyone is talking about Michelle Obama but turns out my fashion icon is Janet Yellen
pic.twitter.com/10snrjcDpS
— Adrienne Porter Felt (@__apf__) January 20, 2021

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View original tweet on Twitter

But the patterned brown wool mittens have a story of their own that is also very on brand and had
some gushing. The mittens were reportedly made by schoolteacher Jen Ellis from his home state
of Vermont, using repurposed wool sweaters and recycled plastic bottles.
 TASOS KATOPODIS

Joe Biden may be president but Bernie Sanders' mittens stole the show

A nod to Senator Cory Booker for one of the coldest barbs of the day.

The New Jersey Democrat got a ton of reaction for his Facebook post welcoming the inauguration
no-show of the 45th president, Donald Trump, by saying the temperature was -45.

Cory Booker
22 hours ago

It was very cold out today. It was -45.

68K 3K 2.9K

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Shades of purple

The colour purple - well hues of it at least - hit the small screen in a big way.

Inauguration fashion: Purple pearls and mittens

 Inauguration fashion: Purple, pearls, and mittens

Kamala Harris in purple, Hillary Clinton in amethyst, Michelle Obama in a plum-coloured

turtleneck and trouser design.

REUTERS

Laura Bush (C) breaks the purple trend at the inauguration

Why purple? Well it has a long history with the suffragette movement, and has been promoted by
some as an intertwining of Republican red and Democrat blue. It's a unity thing.

Lady Gaga appeared with a gold Schiaparelli gilded dove of peace brooch so large it threatened to
fly her off the stage as she sang the national anthem. Suffice it to say she was on less controversial
ground with an ancient symbol of love and peace than a dress made of meat (like the one she wore
back in 2010).

One - in fact two - of the sweetest outfits were worn by Amara and Leela Ajagu, the four- and two-
year-old great nieces of Kamala Harris. They wore their faux leopard fur coats because they
wanted to be like her.

Leopard coats worn by Kamala Harris' great-nieces named aer VP https://t.co/nUKn7TbonA

pic.twitter.com/xdN2AxKXoy
— New York Post (@nypost) January 21, 2021

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View original tweet on Twitter

Kamala Harris and a 1986 snapshot

Ms Harris had worn a similar outfit in a 1970s photo with the children's grandmother (and her
sister), Maya Harris.

Which brings us on the kids' father Nikolas He's the partner of Kamala's niece Meena and was
Which brings us on the kids father, Nikolas. He s the partner of Kamala s niece, Meena, and was
also the subject of a social media trawl aer an eagle-eyed screen-shotter spied a pair of jaunty
Dior Air Jordan 1 sneakers on the stairs during Senator Amy Klobuchar's speech.

He did get some stick, with tongue-in-cheek praise for "making black history" and "daring to drip"
at a presidential inauguration. The shoes are limited edition and could get $10,000 on resale.
Meena later explained in a tweet.

When Nik was packing for DC he actually asked me whether he should bring Jordans or stick to
dress shoes. I didn’t know which Js he was considering, and apparently I was in a jolly mood so I
said “Do what makes you happy.” He never followed up either way. Anyway what a great day.
— Meena Harris (@meenaharris) January 21, 2021

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A historic fist bump

But it wasn't all fashion.

What an amazing and historic photo. pic.twitter.com/ofLGTN6Bvj

— Doug Gordon (@dgordon52) January 20, 2021

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View original tweet on Twitter

Barack Obama - the country's first black president - exchanged an inauguration day fist bump with
Kamala Harris.

The moment was celebrated as a historic passing of the torch between the two political
trailblazers, the only black Americans in history elected to serve in the White House.

Eugene Goodman escorts the vice-president

What a wild two weeks for our country but especially for people like Capitol Police Officer Eugene
Goodman.

On Jan 6, he put his life on the line when he lured insurrectionists away from Senators and staff.

Two weeks later, he’s escorting VPE Kamala Harris into the US Capitol

🐘
pic.twitter.com/zBKzQeJ3lR
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) January 20, 2021

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View original tweet on Twitter

View original tweet on Twitter

Kamala Harris also had a special security escort: Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman.

Mr Goodman has been hailed as a hero aer his actions during the storming of Capitol Hill earlier
this month. Footage from inside the deadly insurrection shows the officer singlehandedly steering
a mob away from the Senate chamber, while the lawmakers hid inside.

The 'hero' Capitol police officer

Mr Goodman accompanied Ms Harris in his new role as deputy Senate sergeant-at-arms.

She took her oath with her trademark smile about to burst through the historic moment, and as
President Biden took his the emotion was also evident on his wife Jill's face.
And as the podium was handed from one storied speaker to another - from senators to longtime
advisers of President Biden - one man made sure to jostle them to the side before they took the
microphone, for their own protection of course.

Podium wipe guy, as he became known, disinfected the stand between each speaker and was
lauded (online) as one of the unsung heroes of the day. It's never been seen before at an
inauguration, it's a ritual that may well be here to stay.

Amanda Gorman for president?

Wasn't @TheAmandaGorman’s poem just stunning? She's promised to run for president in 2036
and I for one can't wait. pic.twitter.com/rahEClc6k2
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 20, 2021

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View original tweet on Twitter

And finally - we knew to expect poet Amanda Gorman in the inauguration line-up, but we did not
know how much she would resonate with people around the world.

"When day comes, we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?" began
Gorman, the country's youngest ever inaugural poet.
 The Hill We Climb: Watch 22-year-old Amanda Gorman's poem reading at the inauguration

At today's celebration, the 22-year-old performed her poem titled "The Hill We Climb"- penned
aer the Capitol riots. The writer and performer became the country's first national youth poet
laureate in 2017.

Who is Amanda Gorman, Biden's inauguration poet?

Today, the self-described "skinny black girl, descended from slaves... [who] can dream of becoming
president" has found "herself reciting for one". But her ambitions don't end there - according to
former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Ms Gorman has promised a future presidential run of her
own.

Related Topics

Bernie Sanders Joe Biden United States Kamala Harris

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