(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (KUNA) -- In a sometimes dark and inward-looking inaugural address, President Donald Trump on Friday pledged to "seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world," but with the understanding "that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.
"From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land," he said. "From this day forward, it is going to be only America first, America first.
"We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example," he said shortly after taking the oath of office as the 45th president of the US.
In a speech that never named another country -- and included shades of isolationism, nationalism and protectionism -- Trump said, "We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate from the face of the Earth.
"At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other," he said.
"Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families," Trump said. "We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs." In a reprise of his 2016 campaign message, Trump said, "America will start winning again, winning like never before.
"We will bring back our jobs," he promised. "We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.
"For many decades, we have enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military," Trump said. "We have defended other nations' borders while refusing to defend our own, and spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.
"We have made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon," he said.
"One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind," the President said. "The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world.
"But that is the past, and now we are looking only to the future," he said.
"We will build new roads and highways and bridges and airports and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation," Trump promised. "We will get our people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor. We will follow two simple rules -- buy American and hire American.
"For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost," he said. "Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth." Politicians prospered, but the jobs left, and the factories closed, he said.
"The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country," Trump said. "Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
"That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment," he said. "It belongs to you.
"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer," Trump said.
A nation exists to serve its citizens, he said. Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves, adding, "These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public.
"But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential," Trump said. "This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.
"The bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity," the President said. "We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable." There should be no fear, Trump said.
"We are protected, and we will always be protected," he said. "We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.
"We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow," Trump said. "A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions.
"It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots," he said. (pickup previous) rm.bs
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