Joe Biden’s election victory and the weeks leading up to it were previously described as “the most consequential.” In his and first lady Dr. Jill Biden’s first interview since moving into the White House, Biden described his inauguration the same way.
The Bidens sat down with People Magazine for an interview, where they discussed a wide variety of topics. Among them being Biden’s inauguration and the president noted that his swearing-in felt different compared to previous inaugurations. Shortly after getting sworn in as the new president, Biden signed several executive orders and actions, such as rejoining the US in the Paris Climate Agreement and the WHO, as well as stricter COVID-19 protocols such as mask-wearing when in federal places, and increasing food stamp benefits.
“Not because I was being sworn in but in the sense of what the state of the nation is, between everything from Covid to unemployment to racial inequality,” said Biden. “We wanted to make sure that as many Americans could participate as possible, and it turns out millions of people watched it.”
On Tuesday, Biden also pledged that he would reverse the hardline anti-immigration policies put in place by his predecessor Donald Trump, which he described as a “moral shame,” touching on his Catholic faith. Biden how important his faith is to him, noting that he has not missed Sunday mass and described his faith as “a safe place.”
While Biden has made clear that he does not intend to give any of his family or extended family key positions or involvement in government, the actions of his brother Frank Biden have soon posed a question towards that pledge. Frank Biden was hired by the Berman Law Firm in Boca Raton back in 2018 as a non-attorney senior adviser. The firm has been known to frequently tout Frank’s familial connection to Biden on their website, advertisements, and social media.
One instance was in November 2020, prior to the elections, the firm filed lawsuits against China and other entities of the Chinese government related to the COVID-19 outbreak. The press releases of the lawsuits cite Frank Biden and his connection to the president. Mr. Biden was not involved in the cases.