Trump campaigned as an outsider, railing against the sins of both his Republican Party and the Democratic Party. And, it became clear as he delivered his speech on the steps of the Capitol, that he intends to remain that outsider, the rebel leader who takes power with one foot still on the battlefield.
Continuing the populist themes from his campaign, he condemned the politicians who he said have for years prospered at the expense of the public.
He eschewed the high-flying rhetoric typical of such occasions in favor of more blunt, populist declarations.
“Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed,” he said. “The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.”
