Boris Johnson blasts Trump’s presidency as ‘bumpy period’ after Joe Biden’s inauguration

Joe Biden inauguration: Boris Johnson congratulates President

The Prime Minister congratulated President Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris on Wednesday. He said the inauguration was a “big moment” for the UK and America and their “joint common agenda”.

Mr Johnson added that he looked forward to working with the US on tackling climate change and the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Johnson said: “When you look at the issues that unite me and Joe Biden and the UK and the United States right now there’s a fantastic joint common agenda.

“I really congratulate Joe and Kamala Harris on their achievement, on their inauguration today.

“It is a fantastic thing for America. It is a step forward for the country that’s been through a bumpy period and for us and America it’s a big moment.”

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The 46th US President was sworn into the White House on Wednesday after his inauguration ceremony.

President Biden has already signed 17 executive orders in his first few hours in office.

Ms Harris made history as she became the first female, first Black and first South Asian Vice-President of the US.

Former President Donald Trump refused to attend Mr Biden’s inauguration ceremony.

He is the first President to snub a successor’s inauguration since 1869 and only the fourth President to have done so in US history.

However, Mr Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence did not follow in his former President’s footsteps and instead chose to attend Mr Biden’s inauguration.

Last week, Mr Trump also became the first US President to be impeached twice.

It came after violent protests in Washington last Thursday saw thousands of demonstrators storming the Capitol building in an attempt to disrupt the certification of President-elect Biden.

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Mr Trump was charged with “incitement of insurrection”.

The former president also never formally conceded the election.

Mr Johnson claimed the UK and US have got “things we want to do together”.

He added: “We want to bounce back from Covid together. Working together to unite the world in how you tackle a pandemic and we will be doing that in the context of the G7 and the G20.”

He also listed global free trade, supporting the Transatlantic Alliance and NATO, and tackling climate change.

Mr Johnson said: “There is a real opportunity for us now.

“The UK was the first major country to go for net-zero by 2050. Since then lots of other countries have followed suit, very important economies have followed suit, but not yet the United States.

“Our hope is that this could be the big one and in the run up to COP26 we will be able to work with the US to achieve that as well.”

In his inauguration speech Mr Biden promised to be a President “for all Americans”.

The President said he will “fight as hard for those who did not support me as those who did”.

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