Intro

Unity was the byword of President Biden’s Inaugural Address.

The speech was an attempt to turn the page. But can this be achieved without, as many in the Democratic coalition believe, a full reckoning with and accountability of how America got to this point of division?

Today, we explore the defining messages of the president’s inaugural address. 

Guests: Astead W. Herndon, a national political reporter for The New York Times; Emily Cochrane, a congressional reporter for The Times.  

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Background reading: 

• President Biden spoke of a return to the ordinary discord of democracy, with a reminder that “politics doesn’t have to be a raging fire, destroying everything in its path.” You can read the full annotated speech here.
• For many in an exhausted, divided nation, the inauguration was a sea change, not just a transition.
• At the made-for-TV swearing-in, rituals of normalcy ran into reminders that these are anything but normal times.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily 

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