Hope rising: Americaâs first female vice-president
She is seen by some as an Obama-like figure who can help restore faith in America. Can Kamala Harris live up to the hype?
By Nick Bryant
February 13, 2021
Kamala Harris takes the oath of office on January 20 with her husband, Doug Emhoff, by her side.
Credit:Andrew Harnik â Pool/Getty Images
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Out she steps in suffragette white, the radiance of her pantsuit giving her an almost celestial air â as if she is the gatekeeper to some other world. COVID-19 has turned this into a drive-in victory party, so supporters are honking their horns, cheering muffled cheers out of the half-open windows of their SUVs, and waving American flags from the cargo beds of their pick-up trucks.
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US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters at the US Capitol in Washington, January 21, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP)
JTA Chuck Schumer could not let the moment pass without mentioning its Jewish history.
Georgia’s new senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, were sworn in on Wednesday, making Schumer the new Senate majority leader the first-ever Jew in that powerful role.
Never afraid to reference his Yiddishkeit, Schumer recalled his roots in an address in the Senate chamber. And he got biblical, too.
“With the swearing-in of these three senators, the Senate will turn to Democratic control… under the first New York-born majority leader in American history,” he said, while also swearing-in Vice President Kamala Harris’s Senate replacement, Alex Padilla.
Photos: Highlights of Inauguration Day 2021 Share Updated: 8:00 AM CST Jan 21, 2021 Courtenay Tucker
Photos: Highlights of Inauguration Day 2021 1 of 33
Former President Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump depart from the White House on Marine One
Former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump departed the White House on Marine One. The couple took in an aerial view of Washington D.C., before flying to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland to address supporters. Trump s decision to leave several hours ahead of the inauguration ceremony makes him the first president in more than 150 years to refuse to attend the inauguration.
PHOTO: Eric Thayer
“I thought it would be a good show of unity,” Scalise told The Advocate. “It’s important we all focus on trying to bring the country back together. We all need to play a role in trying to achieve that.”
Brazile said she had reached out several weeks ago to see if Scalise would invite her to the event. According to the former DNC chairwoman, she and Scalise have been friends for a long time, having maintained good relationships with Republican officials throughout her career.
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“I’m so honored to be a part of this history,” said Brazile with regard to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris