Following a performance by Bruce Springsteen, actor Tom Hanks opened the primetime inauguration special “Celebrating America" with words of hope for a new day in the US following the ascendance of President Joe Biden.
"The last few weeks, in the last few years, we've witnessed deep divisions and a troubling ranker in our land but tonight, we ponder the United States of America," Hanks said. "The practice of our democracy, the foundations of our republic, the integrity of our Constitution, the hope and dreams we all share for a more perfect union."
Hanks added: "To some, a presidential inauguration is a tradition, an act that marks the commitment of a new four-year term. Yet, in truth, Inauguration Day is more than the swearing in of the next national leaders. This day is about witnessing the permanence of our American ideal."