India woke up to Donald Trump’s America today. The inauguration of the 47th President of the United States set the tone for the next four years. Trump, rebuking his predecessor Joe Biden for the “decline” of the country, has promised to turn the tide, ushering in a “Golden America”.
The slate of executive orders signed by Trump, from delaying a ban on TikTok to cracking down on illegal immigration, made headlines early this morning. What also stood out were some unusual, quirky and straight-up controversial moments. Take a look.
Barron Trump steals the spotlight
Donald Trump gave a shoutout to members of the family who were instrumental in his electoral victory while addressing the Inauguration Parade. Barron, 18, had a hero’s welcome at the Capitol arena when Trump introduced him. “I have a very tall son named Barron. Has anyone ever heard of him?” Trump said. Barron got up to applause from the crowd and waved as a seasoned leader would. He then put up his hand to the ear, egging the crowd to continue the cheering.
“He knew the youth vote. You know we won the youth vote by 36 points… He said ‘Dad, you’ve got to go out, do Joe Rogan, do these guys’. And we did. We did. Joe Rogan was great. They were all great, right? He understood the market,” Trump said in praise of his son.
So, how tall is Barron? Well, news reports say he’s over 6 feet, 7 inches tall. He is Trump’s youngest son and his only child with First Lady Melania Trump. Barron was just 10 years old when Trump came to power in 2017. He is now 18 and attends the New York University. He was seen shaking hands with former President Biden and chatting with billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos at the inauguration. Barron even had social media users gushing over him, with some likening him to his father and a future President.
Elon Musk’s controversial salute
Musk appeared exuberant as he addressed the Inauguration Parade, telling Americans, “I would work my ass for you.” When the Tesla CEO appeared on stage, he pumped his fists, danced to the beats and yelled out a loud “YESSS” at the podium. He went on to thank the crowd for Trump’s victory. Biting his bottom lip, Musk put his hand on the heart and outstretched it in an awkward salute, which quickly became the talk of the Internet.
My talk today at the Presidential Parade
pic.twitter.com/qCAxYQb7LN— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2025
Now preserved in the online meme-verse, Musk’s gesture was called out by social media users and some media for being similar to the “Heil Hitler” salute of Nazis. Musk would have none of it. “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The “everyone is Hitler” attack is sooo tired,” Musk posted on X.
News agency Reuters cited the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which tracks antisemitism, to dismiss the claims. “It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge,” the ADL posted on X.
Melania Trump’s hat front and centre
Trump’s first onscreen interaction with the First Lady as the 47th President quickly became meme-material. When Trump leaned in for a kiss, Melania’s hat came in the way, leaving them both puckered up for an awkward air kiss.
“Trying to get underneath that hat… to give the First Lady a peck on the cheek,” ABC news commentators noted during the live event.
Trump brought back attention to the hat, which hid most of Melani’s face, later at the Emancipation Hall. He said that they were about to leave when the organisers asked them to come and say a few words to the “other fans”. They were near the helicopter at the time. “The wind is blowing like crazy and with the hat that she’s wearing she almost blew away. We almost lost our First Lady. She was being elevated off the ground. She almost blew away,” Trump joked.
Hillary Clinton reacts to ‘Gulf of America’
A video of former First Lady and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton reacting to Trump announcing the renaming of Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” is also doing the rounds on the internet.
During his inaugural address, Trump announced, “A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.” The remark had Clinton chuckling.
Trump had announced on January 7 his intention to rename the gulf as part of his larger tirade against neighbouring Mexico over the trade deficit and illegal immigration. His remarks at the time were met with sarcasm from Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum, who joked that North American can be renamed to “Mexican America”.
The “better speech”
Trump’s inauguration broke several conventions. One among them was a second speech that Trump delivered to the audience seated in the Emancipation Hall. The audience had to be broken up into two factions, one seated inside the Rotunda and one seated in the hall with a giant screen. This was due to a last-minute change in plans of moving the ceremony indoors owing to frigid weather.
Trump described this speech as “better than the one I made upstairs”. He added that I asked the organisers if I should give them the “A treatment, the B treatment, the C, the D or the F.” Trump added, “You know what the F is, ‘Hello everybody, thank you for being here. Bye, bye’. I gave you the A-plus treatment”.
The President took the opportunity to expand on his inaugural address, adding what he couldn’t say inside. This one, however, was without the help of a teleprompter. He glorified the January 6, 2021 rioters, repeated claims of the “rigged election” in 2020, and attacked Biden for his pre-emptive pardons towards his family.
Discover the Benefits of Our Subscription!
Stay informed with access to our award-winning journalism.
Avoid misinformation with trusted, accurate reporting.
Make smarter decisions with insights that matter.
Choose your subscription package