The inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States marks a new paradigm for our nation.  While the pundits will parse every word of his 16-minute speech, most will miss the embedded meaning of federalism, patriotism, hope, and freedom expressed in the voice of a successful businessman.  Journalists attack the implications of his speech, but will fail to get the deeper meanings from a man of action.  Ideologues on both sides have rejected Trump's assertion that we must put America first, but the electorate marginalized their objections in 2016.

Trump's speech was portrayed as dark, stark, and harsh by mainstream media.  He delivered a rebuke of the policies of Obama and G.W. Bush, both sitting behind him.  Trump delivered an assessment of the decline of American cities and rural communities, directly opposed to progressivism.  He expressed the wisdom of entrepreneurial spirit as opposed to socialism.  He voiced his argument against transfer of wealth from our nation to others, opposing globalism.  He expressed some of the libertarian objections to nation-building and extensive interventionism.  He also rebuked the establishment of both parties.

Trump's prose is not the poetry of Lincoln, but it contains the soaring rhetoric of our founders' philosophical intent.  The president stated that he intends to return power to the people.  This desire to return power to localities is the essential fourth branch of government, restricting abusive power, that makes our republic uniquely federal.  Both Athens and Rome, city-states of ancient times, ruled their empires without consideration of this issue.  This omission led to dictatorial takeover.  Two thousand years later, our founders recognized that the states were sovereign and determined to prevent this occurrence.  They further put this in the Tenth Amendment, often ignored.

The peaceful transfer of power has occurred since the Constitution became effective in 1789.  Senator Blunt gave a concise explanation of its earliest practices from Washington to Adams and then to Jefferson.  The fluke of the election of 1800 led to the Twelfth Amendment.  Senator Schumer, added to the program, delivered a Democratic argument for group identity politics; he chose to accentuate the words of a Northerner Civil War hero, but this highlighted our divisions and reminded us of the threat to our republic in 1861.  Further amendments helped correct omissions in our bodies politic.

Our Constitution, though not perfect, is our contract with our rulers.  Our founders gave us two methods for updating and correcting this document.  On the left, some argue that it is an evolutionary document and use the Courts to impose their preferred changes.  On the right, originalists resist changes.  Implacable difference created the divide that led to the Civil War.  Our present differences are in no way so great, though the media would have us think otherwise.

Hundreds of thousands watched the inauguration on the Mall.  Meanwhile, a few hundred anarchists damaged buildings and automobiles blocks away.  At least 217 were arrested.  These militant anarchistic uprisings were unleashed when Obama did not oppose Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter publicly.  This anti-American partisanship is likely to dissipate under Trump.

As almost one third of Democratic congressmen boycotted the inauguration, the remaining partisans will determine the extent of cooperation and compromise.  Trump is the ultimate deal-maker and will reach out if votes are needed.  The swamp in Washington depends upon fundraising, where the lobbyists and politicos exercise their influence over both parties.  Trump wants to drain the swamp of Washington, which has grown wealthy at the expense of Main Street. 

Conservative commentators argue that Trump's speeches are bombastic.  Liberals focus on his lack of nuance.  His inaugural speech sounded like a campaign speech.  This reflects his inner honesty.  For in the words of former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, let Trump be Trump.  This is who he is.  Some fail to see seriousness in his words and focus on his hyperbole.  They are the people who have underestimated him throughout.

Trump stated that true patriotism has no room for bigotry.  Yet on the left, Trump's opponents see hatred of foreigners and those with differences.  Perhaps they did not hear that comment of soldiers that all bleed red blood.  Apparently, hundreds of thousands of feminists are protesting Trump's inauguration.  Organizers rejected the participation of New Wave Feminists since they are anti-abortion; some seek only a specific diversity.  Trump's quotation of biblical unity falls short for such partisans.

After eight years in the wilderness, our search for the America our founders created has resumed.  Ronald Reagan talked of a shining city on the hill from the Bible.  He slowed the growth of federal domestic power but left us with a $1-trillion debt.  Obama has left us with almost $20 trillion in debt, making the job that much harder.  Trump understands that American exceptionalism cannot flourish during bankruptcy. 

The Winston Churchill bust has returned to the Oval Office.  The Martin Luther King bust remains despite the dishonest media's claim to the contrary.  Trump will continue to tweet as a result.  Trump recognized the Clintons at the congressional luncheon.  Despite his differences, Trump rejects the message, but he does not hate the person.  If more partisans could get this message, American renewal can occur.

In the words of Lee Greenwood, "I am proud to be an American, where at least I know that I am free.  I won't forget the men who died to give that right to me."  Sacrifice is an essential when strong views exist.   Trump understands that success leads to confidence and that others will emulate that approach.  There will always be opponents to peace and freedom for selfish purposes.  They need not deter us from our goals.

Trump seeks to shrink the government's influence over our lives.  This is the new paradigm that Reagan could not complete.  If Trump succeeds, he will be the constitutionalist we need.  For we are the people of these United States.