latest report from the president

Biden’s Numbers, January 2024 Update

Our latest quarterly look at various statistical measures during Biden's presidency.

By Eugene Kiely , Brooks Jackson , D'Angelo Gore , Robert Farley , Lori Robertson and Sean Christensen

Posted on January 25, 2024

Para leer en español, vea esta traducción de Google Translate.

Here’s how the United States has fared since President Joe Biden took office three years ago:

• The economy added more than 14 million jobs. The number is now nearly 4.9 million higher than before the pandemic.
• The unemployment rate dropped back to just above the pre-pandemic low; unfilled job openings again outnumber unemployed job seekers.
• Inflation spiked to the highest level in over 40 years. Despite recent moderation, consumer prices are up nearly 18% overall during Biden’s time. Gasoline is up 29%.
• Average weekly earnings haven’t kept pace with prices. After adjusting for inflation, “real” weekly earnings declined 3.4%.
• Defying expectations, the nation’s economy expanded 2.5% in 2023, marking the third straight year of economic growth.
• Crime data show a decrease in murders in U.S. cities in 2022 and 2023.
• The S&P 500 has increased 28.2%.
• The number of apprehensions of those trying to cross the southern border illegally remains near historical highs. For the 12 months ending in November, apprehensions are up 296%.
• For the third straight year, gun purchases declined, as measured by background checks for firearm sales.
• Crude oil production is up 12.7%; imports are up 8.7%.
• The trade deficit for goods and services is about 20.9% higher.
• The number of people without health insurance has gone down; enrollment in Affordable Care Act marketplace plans is at its highest point yet.
• The number of people receiving federal food assistance has declined by more than 700,000.
• The publicly held debt has increased by about 24.7%.

Biden, who appears to be headed for a rematch with former President Donald Trump, is going into an election year with some favorable and unfavorable numbers. Unemployment is down, and consumer confidence is rising. But overall inflation is high, and wages aren’t keeping pace with inflation.

Here, we present those and other statistical measures in our latest installment of our quarterly feature, “Biden’s Numbers .” We take no position on how much credit or blame Biden deserves, following the same approach we took when we did “ Trump’s Numbers .”

Jobs and Unemployment

The number of people with jobs rebounded strongly during Biden’s time, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by almost 4.9 million.

Employment —  The U.S. economy added 14,263,000 jobs between Biden’s inauguration and December, the latest month for which data are available from the  Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The December figure is 4,861,000 higher than the February 2020 peak of employment before COVID-19 forced massive shutdowns and layoffs.

Some categories are still lagging, however. There were 28,000 fewer public school teachers and other  local government education workers  in December than there were at the pre-pandemic peak, and 183,000 fewer hotel and restaurant workers and others in the  accommodation and food services  industries.

Unemployment —  The  unemployment rate  fell from 6.4% at the time Biden took office to 3.4% in January 2023 and again in April, the lowest since June 1969. Since then, the rate has crept up — but only to 3.7% in December, just 0.2 point above the pre-pandemic rate.

Job Openings  — The number of  unfilled job openings  soared, reaching a record of over 12 million in March 2022, but then declined after the  Federal Reserve began  a steep series of  interest rate increases  aimed at cooling the economy to bring down price inflation.

The number of unfilled jobs was just under 8.8 million as of the last business day of November, the most recent month on record. That’s still an increase of over 1.6 million openings — or nearly 23% — during Biden’s time.

In November, there was an average 1.4 jobs for every  unemployed job seeker . When Biden took office, there were fewer job openings than unemployed job seekers.

The number of job openings in December is set to be  released  Jan. 30.

Labor Force Participation  — One reason many job openings go unfilled is that millions of Americans left the workforce during the pandemic and haven’t returned. The  labor force participation rate  (the percentage of the total population over age 16 that is either employed or actively seeking work) has risen slowly during Biden’s time, from 61.3% in January 2021 to 62.5% in December.

That still leaves the rate somewhat short of the pre-pandemic level of 63.3% for February 2020.

The rate has been trending generally down for nearly a quarter of a century. It peaked at  67.3%  during the first four months of 2000. Labor Department  economists project  that the rate will continue to slide down to 60.1% in 2031, “primarily because of an aging population.”

Manufacturing Jobs  — During the presidential campaign, Biden  promised  he had a plan to create a million new manufacturing jobs — and whether it’s his doing or not, the number is getting close to that target.

As of December, the U.S. added  790,000 manufacturing jobs  during Biden’s time, a 6.5% increase in the space of 35 months, according to the BLS. Furthermore, the December total is 201,000, or 1.6%, above the number of manufacturing jobs in February 2020, before the pandemic forced plant closures and layoffs.

During Trump’s four years, the economy lost 170,000 manufacturing jobs, or 1.4%, largely due to the pandemic.

Wages and Inflation

CPI  — Inflation came roaring back under Biden. During his first 35 months in office, the  Consumer Price Index  rose 17.6%.

It was for a time the worst inflation in decades. The 12 months ending in June 2022 saw a 9.1% increase in the CPI (before seasonal adjustment), which the  Bureau of Labor Statistics said  was the biggest such increase since the 12 months ending in November 1981.

Inflation has moderated greatly since then. The unadjusted CPI rose 3.4% in the 12 months ending in December , the most recent figure available.

Gasoline Prices  — The price of gasoline shot up even faster.

During the week ending Jan. 22, the  national average price of regular gasoline  at the pump was $3.06. That’s 68 cents higher than in the week before Biden took office, an increase of 29%.

The price swung wildly during Biden’s first year and a half, hitting a record high of just over $5 per gallon in the week ending June 13, 2022. That rise was propelled by motorists resuming travel after pandemic lockdowns and then by  Russia’s invasion  of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Wages  — Wages also have gone up under Biden, but not as fast as prices.

Average weekly earnings for rank-and-file workers  went up 14.2%  during Biden’s first 35 months in office, according to monthly figures compiled by the BLS. Those  production and nonsupervisory workers  make up 81% of  all employees in the private sector.

But inflation ate up all that gain and more. “Real” weekly earnings, which are adjusted for inflation and measured in dollars valued at their average level in 1982-84, actually  declined 3.4%  since Biden took office.

More recently, real wages have been increasing, rising 1.3% since hitting the low point under Biden in June 2022.

Economic Growth

After the Federal Reserve began  raising interest rates  in March 2022 to slow inflation, the economic consensus held that the U.S. was  headed for  a  recession in 2023 . That turned out  not to be the case .

In fact, real gross domestic product (which is adjusted for inflation) was 2.5% higher in 2023 than it was in 2022, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said in a Jan. 25 release  announcing its “advance estimate.” (The  advance estimate  is the BEA’s first estimate, which could be adjusted slightly on Feb. 28, when updated figures with more complete data will be released.)

This marks the third straight year of economic growth under Biden. The real GDP increased  5.8% in 2021 and 1.9% in 2022 . (In 2020, Trump’s final year in office, the U.S. economy was  battered  by the COVID-19 pandemic, and real GDP  declined 2.2% .)

The BEA also estimated that the economy increased at an annual rate of 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023 — marking the sixth straight quarter of economic growth, including a surprisingly strong 4.9% increase in the third quarter. 

The Fed’s monetary policy was designed “to achieve a ‘soft landing’ — a return to low inflation while maintaining moderate economic growth,” as the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service explained in a  report  released last month. But, the CRS report added, “a majority of private sector economists had, until recently, predicted that the Fed’s actions would result in a ‘hard landing’ — a recession — in 2023.”

The economic consensus now is that the Fed has achieved a “soft landing,” and the U.S. will likely avoid a recession, according to the Wall Street Journal’s most recent quarterly survey of economists in early January.

“Business and academic economists surveyed by the Journal lowered the probability of a recession within the next year, to 39% from 48% in the October survey,” the Journal  wrote  on Jan. 14. That’s the lowest it has been since April 2022, when the average probability of a recession was 28%.

In December, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office  projected  that the nation’s economic growth will slow to 1.5% in 2024 — which, if that happens, would mean the Fed had indeed  achieved  a “soft landing.”

Of course, the economic consensus has been wrong before.

The available data show that homicides declined nationwide last year, though you wouldn’t know it from recently released research from the Republican National Committee. The RNC report decried 2023 as “another violent year” that “continues the violent wave of crime that has been building for the past few years, ever since the defund the police movement – championed by Democrats – began.”

The RNC report highlights a rise in homicides in Washington, D.C. , Kansas City and Memphis . While it’s true that homicides rose in those cities, figures  from AH Datalytics, an independent criminal justice data analysis group, show that murders in more than 200 cities nationwide were down 12% overall in 2023 compared with 2022.

The latest figures from the Major Cities Chiefs Association show a 10.7% decline in the number of murders from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, 2023, compared with the same time period in 2022, in 69 large U.S. cities.

There was also a drop in murders in large cities in 2022. These decreases come after a 33.4% increase in the number of murders in large cities from 2019 to 2020, according to the Major Cities Chiefs Association, and a smaller 6.2% rise from 2020 to 2021, Biden’s first year in office.

The nonpartisan think tank Council on Criminal Justice published a midyear report in 2023 on 30 U.S. cities that similarly found recent declines in homicides. However, it noted that the number for the first half of 2023 remained higher than the first half of 2019, “the year prior to the COVID pandemic and racial justice protests of 2020.”

“The authors conclude that crime patterns continue to shift as the nation has emerged from the COVID pandemic and that policymakers and communities must act urgently to adapt their strategies to meet the new challenges,” CCJ said in a summary of its report. “Though the level of serious violent crime is far below historical peaks, it remains intolerably high, especially in poorer communities of color.”

Our last “Biden’s Numbers” update in October included the just- r eleased FBI report covering 2022. Its estimates showed a drop in the nationwide murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate of 0.5 points during Biden’s time in office, from 6.8 per 100,000 population in 2020 to 6.3 in 2022. The number of murders declined by 5.6%, totaling an estimated 21,156 last year.

The violent crime rate dropped by 15.4 points, to 369.8 per 100,000 population in 2022.

As we noted then, the decrease in murder and aggravated assaults under Biden, however, hasn’t yet brought those figures back to their 2019 levels, before an increase in both offenses during the 2020 pandemic. For instance, the 6.3 murder rate for 2022 is still higher than the 5.2 rate for 2019.

The FBI’s 2022 report is based on figures voluntarily provided by 15,724 law enforcement agencies, which represent 93.5% of the U.S. population. All U.S. cities with 1 million population or more provided statistics for the full year, the FBI said.

The property crime rate also declined a bit, by 9.5 points, from 2020 to 2022. But there was a notable increase in motor vehicle thefts: The rate increased by 35.2 points to 282.7 vehicle thefts per 100,000 people.

Immigration

The number of apprehensions of those trying to cross the southern border illegally crept back up in September, October and November, remaining near historical highs. Overall under Biden, apprehensions are dramatically higher than the apprehension numbers under Trump, according to the  latest data  from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

To even out the seasonal changes in border crossings, we compare the most recent 12 months on record with the year before Biden took office. And for the past 12 months ending in November, the latest figures available, apprehensions totaled 2,012,917,  according to Customs and Border Protection . That’s 296% higher than during Trump’s last year in office.

Driving much of the increase has been a boom in migrants seeking asylum. (See chart below.)

Rather than trying to sneak into the interior, most migrants are crossing into the U.S. and turning themselves over to border authorities, Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh , an associate policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, told us. “They want to be encountered by border patrol agents.”

Explaining the push on the border, Putzel-Kavanaugh said, “Part of it is because migration worldwide has increased,” due to unequal recovery from the pandemic, wars/violence, the loosening of restrictions after COVID-19 and climate change. “We are seeing more turmoil around the world.”

There are also unique pull factors to the U.S., she said.

“After the Trump administration, there was a perception that Biden was the opposite of Trump on immigration,” Putzel-Kavanaugh said. “There was a perception that the U.S. was more welcoming. There was a stark difference in the way they talked about migrants.”

It’s also true that most migrants have been able to find work, she said, which acts as a draw.

Adding to the problem, she said, is that the asylum system is incredibly backlogged.

“Cases don’t come to trial until years down the line,” she said. Asylum cases are taking four to five years to come to trial. In some cases, like in New York, the backlog is even longer, she said.

Less than 15% of those seeking asylum were ultimately granted it in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, according to Justice Department statistics . But while waiting on a decision, asylum seekers obtain work authorizations, get established in jobs and their children get settled in schools, Putzel-Kavanaugh said.

According to a December report from TRAC , a nonpartisan research center at Syracuse University, the immigration court backlog reached a record of 3 million pending cases in November, after growing by a million in just one year.

“Immigration Judges are swamped,” the report stated. “Immigration Judges now average 4,500 pending cases each. If every person with a pending immigration case were gathered together, it would be larger than the population of Chicago, the third largest city in the United States.”

Republicans and Democrats alike have been calling for immigration policy changes, though their plans are very different. Biden has called for addressing the root causes of immigration by sending more assistance to improve conditions in countries like El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. He also seeks funds to reduce immigration court and asylum application backlogs.

Republicans, meanwhile, are calling for a return to some of the policies championed by Trump, such as expanding the border wall system, reinstituting the “Remain in Mexico” policy (whereby asylum seekers had to stay in Mexico to await their court appearances), and returning to using U.S. Title 42 , a public health order that was used during the pandemic to allow border officials to immediately return migrants caught trying to enter the country illegally.

Also, House Republicans are pursuing impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. A resolution proposed by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Mayorkas has not upheld a requirement in the Secure Fence Act of 2006 that the secretary of Homeland Security “maintain operational control” over the border, a standard that Mayorkas noted no DHS secretary has ever met to the letter of the law.

Biden continues to make slow, but steady, progress toward fulfilling  his ambitious campaign promise  to accept up to 125,000 refugees into the United States each fiscal year.

On Sept. 29, the Biden administration set the cap on refugee admissions for fiscal year 2024 at 125,000 – just as it did in fiscal years 2023 and 2022 .

In fiscal year 2023, which ended Sept. 30, the U.S. accepted 60,014 refugees — the highest total since fiscal year 2016, which was the last full fiscal year of the Obama-Biden administration,  according to  State Department data. It was also more than twice as many as the 25,465 refugees admitted in fiscal 2022.

But it still fell far short of the president’s 125,000 goal. To achieve that goal, the administration would have to admit an average of 10,417 refugees per month.

In the first three months of fiscal year 2024, the administration accepted 21,790 refugees — or 7,263 per month. That’s substantially higher than the 6,757 refugees — or 2,252 per month — who were admitted in the first three months of last fiscal year.

“Refugee admissions now are nearing a monthly pace that will, if sustained over the course of a year, enable arrival of 125,000 refugees, a 30-year high,” the State Department said in a November  report to Congress . The mention of “a 30-year high” in the report refers to 1992, when the Clinton administration admitted 132,531 refugees,  according to  data compiled by the Migration Policy Institute.

The State Department report credited the Biden administration’s “intensive efforts to restore, strengthen, and modernize the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program” as the reason for making “significant progress” toward Biden’s 125,000 goal. (Note: Only refugees, who apply for refugee status from outside the U.S., count against the refugee admissions ceiling, as the State Department explains in its report to Congress.)

Overall, the U.S. has admitted 117,277 refugees in Biden’s first full 35 months in office, or 3,351 refugees per month, the data show. That’s 82% higher than the 1,845 monthly average during the four years under Trump, who significantly reduced the admission of refugees. (For both presidents, our monthly averages include only full months in office, excluding the month of January 2017 and January 2021, when administrations overlapped.)

Judiciary Appointments

Supreme Court — Biden has appointed one Supreme Court justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was confirmed on April 7, 2022. She replaced retired Justice Stephen G. Breyer , an appointee of President Bill Clinton. At the same point of his tenure, Trump had won confirmation for  two  Supreme Court  justices .

Court of Appeals — Thirty-nine U.S. Court of Appeals judges have been confirmed under Biden, while 50   had been confirmed at this point of Trump’s term.

District Court —  Biden has won confirmation for 130 District Court judges . At the same point under Trump, 133 had been confirmed.

Four U.S. Court of Federal Claims judges have also been confirmed under Biden, while five had been confirmed at the same point of Trump’s presidency. In addition, Trump had won the confirmation for two  U.S. Court of International Trade  judges at this stage of his term.

As of Jan. 24, there were 60   federal court vacancies , with 23 nominees pending.

Health Insurance Coverage

The number of people without health insurance decreased by 0.7 percentage points or 2.4 million people from 2020, the year before Biden took office, to 2022. Those figures come from the  Census Bureau’s annual reports , which measure those who lacked insurance for the entire year.

The latest report, published in September, found that 25.9 million people, or 7.9% of the population, didn’t have insurance in 2022.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s  National Health Interview Survey provides more recent, early release estimates that measure those who lacked health insurance at the time they were interviewed. By that metric, the uninsured dropped by 1.3 percentage points, or 4 million people, from 2020 to 2022, and the latest NHIS report shows a further decline for the first nine months of 2023.

From January through June last year, 7.4% of the population was uninsured, according to the NHIS estimates, 1 percentage point lower than the figure for all of 2022.

As we have been noting , it’s possible the uninsured figures will start to rise, since some Medicaid provisions that were enacted during the coronavirus pandemic  started to be phased out  at the end of March last year.

Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace plans — for those who need to buy coverage on their own — has increased under Biden. The Department of Health and Human Services announced on Jan. 24 that 21.3 million people had selected an ACA plan during this year’s open enrollment period, the highest figure yet and about 5 million more than last year. This year’s enrollment also includes more than 5 million consumers who are new to the ACA marketplace.

Corporate Profits

After-tax corporate profits have reached new heights under Biden.

For the year, after-tax corporate profits set records in  2021 and 2022,  according to BEA estimates. (See line 45.)

On Dec. 21, the BEA  estimated  that profits in the third quarter of 2023 grew to an annualized rate of $3.02 trillion. That was 38% higher than the full-year figure for 2020 , the year before Biden took office.

It was the third straight quarter that corporations had seen an increase in profits.

Consumer Sentiment

Under Biden, high inflation had weakened consumer confidence in the economy. But inflation has been slowing , and confidence is picking up once again.

The University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers reported that its preliminary Index of Consumer Sentiment for January was 78.8 — the highest since July 2021.

“Consumer sentiment soared 13% in January to reach its highest level since July 2021, showing that the sharp increase in December was no fluke,” Joanne W. Hsu, director of the Surveys of Consumers, said. “Consumer views were supported by confidence that inflation has turned a corner and strengthening income expectations. Over the last two months, sentiment has climbed a cumulative 29%, the largest two-month increase since 1991 as a recession ended.”

In June 2022, the consumer sentiment index dropped to a record-low 50, according to survey data since November 1952. But now it is almost back to where it was when Biden took office in January 2021, when the index was 79.

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Survey also reported an increase in December. The group said its survey showed “a surge in confidence and restored optimism for 2024.” The Conference Board will release its next survey on Jan. 30.

Home Prices & Homeownership

Home prices —  After skyrocketing in Biden’s first two years, home prices have cooled, peaking in June and declining ever since.

The preliminary median sales price of existing single-family homes in the U.S. was $387,000 in December, marking the sixth consecutive month that prices have dropped,  according to  the National Association of Realtors.

For the year, the median sales price was $394,600 — just a shade higher than it was in 2022. Even so, the median price in 2023 was 31.4% higher than it had been in 2020.

But NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun isn’t expecting the real estate dip to last much longer.

“The latest month’s sales look to be the bottom before inevitably turning higher in the new year,” Yun said in a Jan. 19 press release . “Mortgage rates are meaningfully lower compared to just two months ago, and more inventory is expected to appear on the market in upcoming months.”

Mortgage rates had been rising along with the Federal Reserve’s key interest rate. The Fed last raised its benchmark rate in July — marking the 11th increase  since March 2022. In December, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell indicated that its next move may be to cut its rate.

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage average nationwide, as of Jan. 18, dropped to 6.6% — the lowest since May,  according to  Freddie Mac.

Homeownership  — Homeownership rates have barely budged under Biden.

The  homeownership rate , which the Census Bureau  measures  as the percentage of “occupied housing units that are owner-occupied,” was 66% in the third quarter of 2023 — not much higher than the 65.8% rate during Trump’s last quarter in office. (Usual word of caution: The bureau  warns  against making comparisons with the fourth quarter of 2020, because of pandemic-related restrictions on in-person data collection.) 

The rate peaked under Trump in the second quarter of 2020 at 67.9%. The highest homeownership rate on record was 69.2% in 2004, when George W. Bush was president.

Stock Markets

The stock markets have rallied since our last report, finishing 2023 strong and setting records in 2024.

All three major indexes saw double-digit increases in 2023. The S&P 500 index “ended the year with a 24.2% gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 13% this year, and the Nasdaq soared 43%, driven by gains in big technology companies, including Nvidia, Amazon and Microsoft,” CBS News reported on Dec. 29, the last day of trading.

That pushed all three indexes solidly into positive territory on Biden’s watch.

The S&P 500 , which is made up of 500 large-cap companies, set a new high on Jan. 24, closing at 4,868.55 . Since Biden took office, the S&P 500 has increased 28.2%. Likewise, the Dow Jones Industrial Average , which includes 30 large corporations, has increased 22.2%   under Biden.

The technology-heavy NASDAQ composite index, made up of more than 3,000 companies , was in negative territory under Biden in our last report in October. But at the close on Jan. 24, the NASDAQ index was up 17.3% since Biden took office on Jan. 20, 2021 .

For the third straight year, since a spike during the pandemic, annual gun purchases appear to have declined, according to figures from the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

The federal government doesn’t collect data on gun sales, so the  NSSF , a gun industry trade group, estimates gun sales by tracking the number of background checks for firearm sales based on the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS. The NSSF-adjusted figures exclude background checks unrelated to sales, such as those required for concealed-carry permits.

The adjusted NICS total for background checks in 2023 was more than  15.8 million , the NSSF said — the fourth-highest annual total going back to 2000. But last year’s total was still about 3.5% less than in 2022, approximately 14.4% less than in 2021, and roughly 24.8% less than in 2020, the one-year record.

Oil Production and Imports

U.S. crude oil production averaged roughly 12.76 million barrels per day during Biden’s most recent 12 months in office (ending in October), according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data published in late December. That was more than 12.7% higher than the average daily amount of crude oil produced in 2020.

In its Short-Term Energy Outlook for January, the EIA projected that crude oil production averaged 12.92 million barrels per day in 2023, which would be the highest average on record. EIA also said it expects crude oil production — fueled by increases in well efficiency — to increase to 13.2 million barrels per day in 2024 and 13.4 million in 2025, which would be new records.

Still, over the last 12 months, the U.S. imported about 6.39 million barrels of crude oil per day on average. That’s up more than 8.7% from average daily imports in 2020 — but lower than the pre-pandemic average of 6.80 million barrels per day in 2019.

Carbon Emissions

There was another small decline in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions since our last report.

In the most recent 12 months on record (ending in September), there were approximately 4.82 billion metric tons of emissions from the consumption of coal, natural gas and various petroleum products, according to the EIA. That’s down from the 4.83 billion metric tons as of our last update, but it’s still about 5.2% more than the roughly 4.58 billion metric tons emitted in 2020.

As of this month, the EIA forecast that energy-related emissions for all of 2023 would total 4.78 billion metric tons — which would be lower than the amounts of 4.90 billion in 2021 and 4.94 billion in 2022.

The U.S. imported roughly $789.4 billion more in goods and services than it exported over the last 12 months through November,  according to  figures published this month by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The international trade deficit in that period was $136.5 billion higher, or about 20.9% more, than the gap for the 2020 calendar year.

However, as of November, the 2023 goods and services deficit had decreased by around  $161.8 billion  from the same 11-month period in 2022 — putting the U.S. on pace to have a lower annual trade deficit last year than the record of $951.2 billion in 2022.

Food Stamps

Since our last quarterly update, enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, increased.

There were about  41.4 million  beneficiaries receiving food assistance through SNAP, as of October. The figures, which are preliminary, were published by the Department of Agriculture earlier this month.

That means SNAP enrollment is up 96,392 since July — but still down 718,269, or about 1.7%, from the January 2021 enrollment of more than 42.1 million. The lowest monthly enrollment under Biden was roughly 40.8 million in August and September 2021.

Debt and Deficits

Debt  — The public debt, excluding money the government owes itself, increased to more than  $26.9 trillion , as of Jan. 19. The public debt is now about 24.7% higher than it was when Biden took office.

Deficits  — The Congressional Budget Office estimates that so far the budget deficit for fiscal year 2024 has increased a bit compared with the same period in fiscal 2023, when the annual deficit was $1.7 trillion,  according to  the Department of Treasury.

Through the first three months of the current fiscal year (October to December), the deficit was $509 billion, or “$87 billion more than the deficit recorded during the same period last fiscal year,” the CBO reported in its  Monthly Budget Review  for December 2023.

Notably, the CBO said that outlays in the first quarter were up $170 billion from the same time a year ago — and would have been slightly higher if not for some federal payments being made in the last month of fiscal 2023 instead of the first month of fiscal 2024. A significant contributor to the increase was interest payments on the debt, the CBO said, “because interest rates are significantly higher than they were in the first three months of fiscal year 2023.”

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After 18 months of investigations, the Jan. 6 report is out. Here are the toplines

Deepa Shivaram

President Trump arrives to speak to supporters from The Ellipse near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021. The rally later turned into a riot that breached the U.S. Capitol. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

President Trump arrives to speak to supporters from The Ellipse near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021. The rally later turned into a riot that breached the U.S. Capitol.

After roughly 18 months of investigations, the House committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has released their full report .

The document , which is more than 800 pages long, recommends the Justice Department pursue criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his role in the attack. And they say Congress should act to bar Trump, and others involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection, from ever holding federal office again.

A summary of the full report was released Monday after the committee concluded its final public hearing. More documents are still expected to be released.

House Jan. 6 committee hearings

5 takeaways from the final jan. 6 committee hearing.

Congress passes election reform designed to head off another Jan. 6

"As the Select Committee concludes its work, their words must be a clarion call to all Americans: to vigilantly guard our Democracy and to give our vote only to those dutiful in their defense of our Constitution," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in the report.

Despite criminal referrals against him and a mountain of evidence showing otherwise, Trump — now a presidential candidate once again — has continued to post on social media since the report was released to repeat his lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

In addition to the criminal referrals to the DOJ, the committee laid out 11 recommendations aimed at better protecting the American democratic system from future attacks. Those recommendations include clarifying that the role of the vice president in the transition of power is purely ceremonial and a new federal law enforcement emphasis on anti-government extremist groups.

Members of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol hold its last public meeting on Capitol Hill on Monday. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

What are the committee's main recommendations?

• Citing the 14th amendment, the committee recommended Trump should be barred from holding federal or state office ever again. They also recommend the creation of a "formal mechanism" to evaluate whether those who took part in the insurrection should be barred from holding future government office on federal and other levels.
• The committee also recommends that Congress should make stronger criminal penalties for those who obstruct a peaceful transfer of power,
• And they recommend federal penalties for those who threaten election workers. The committee's investigation found that many of the people who refused to be pushed into manipulating election results, including governors, secretaries of state, state legislators, state and local election officials, and frontline election workers, found themselves subjected to spamming, doxing, harassment, intimidation, and violent threats. Some of those threats were sexualized or racist in nature and targeted family members.
• The committee subpoenaed several individuals in the process of their investigation, but their authority to enforce those subpoenas is unclear. The committee recommends the creation of new legislation that would enforce House subpoenas in federal court.
• The committee also recommends more oversight over the Capitol Police. "Congressional committees of jurisdiction should continue regular and rigorous oversight of the United States Capitol Police as it improves its planning, training, equipping, and intelligence processes and practices its critical incident response protocols," they write. They said there should be joint hearings with testimony from the Capitol Police Board.

What else is in the report?

Pro-Trump supporters attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. A House select committee has spent roughly a year and a half investigating what led to the riot and released its full report on Friday. Samuel Corum/Getty Images hide caption

Pro-Trump supporters attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. A House select committee has spent roughly a year and a half investigating what led to the riot and released its full report on Friday.

The report is broken into eight sections: the former president's election lies and declarations of victory, Trump's efforts to "find" additional votes, his pressure campaigns targeting federal and state officials to overturn the 2020 election results and the events of Jan. 6 itself.

Other key details in the report mirror the findings of the committee laid out in previous hearings that took place over the last year:

• Trump planned to declare victory regardless of the outcome. The committee lays out how Trump's plan to overturn the 2020 election was not spontaneous, but premeditated.
• Trump was aware of the risk of violence when he called on his supporters to march on the Capitol. The report shows how extremist groups like the Oathkeepers and the Proud Boys banded together for the insurrection. "President Trump had summoned a mob, including armed extremists and conspiracy theorists, to Washington, DC on the same day the joint session of Congress was to meet. He then told that same mob to march on the US Capitol and 'fight.' They clearly got the message," the committee wrote.
• Trump was aware of violence at the Capitol for more than three hours before he agreed to intervene. The report calls this period of time "187 minutes of dereliction," in which they say Trump drank Diet Coke, put off advice from advisers, including his daughter Ivanka, and watched Fox News during the insurrection. The committee laid out a timeline of what happened leading up to and during those three hours, which entailed increasing tension between Trump and Vice President Pence and Trump himself attempting to go to the Capitol to join his supporters.
• Top aides to the president were aware that election fraud investigations would not change the election outcome. The committee argues that Trump and his allies not only lied about election fraud, but ripped-off their supporters by asking for money for lawsuits to fight the election results.

You can read more on NPR's coverage of the committee's public hearings here .

Read the Jan. 6 committee's report and recommendations for preventing another riot

What happens now that the report is out.

What will come of the committee's recommendations is unclear . While lawmakers made recommendations to the Department of Justice, it doesn't necessarily mean the department has to act.

In their report, the committee also referred four Republican House members — Kevin McCarthy of California, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Andy Biggs of Arizona — to the House Ethics Committee for failure to comply with subpoenas. But in the new year, Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives, which means it's possible that these four House members don't face any repercussions.

Jan. 6 committee votes on criminal referrals against Trump

But at least one point from the committee has taken hold already: an update to the Electoral Count Act , which Congress passed this week in connection to a major spending bill. The updated legislation further clarifies that the vice president's role in certifying the election is entirely ceremonial.

NPR's Halimah Abdullah, Claudia Grisales, Giulia Heyward, Eric McDaniel, Muthoni Muturi, Barbara Sprunt, Katherine Swartz and Rachel Treisman contributed to this report.

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President Biden takes office, moving quickly to implement agenda

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By Stefan Becket, Grace Segers, Kathryn Watson, Melissa Quinn and Caroline Linton

Updated on: January 21, 2021 / 6:39 AM EST / CBS News

Washington — Joseph R. Biden, Jr., was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, urging a bitterly divided country to come together at a perilous time in American history while moving quickly to begin implementing his agenda.

"This is America's day. This is democracy's day," Mr. Biden said in his inaugural address . "Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause. The cause of democracy. The people, the will of the people, has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded."

Noting that he was being inaugurated on the Capitol steps just two weeks after it was stormed by a "riotous mob," Mr. Biden said the country has been reminded that "democracy is precious, democracy is fragile, and at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed."

In the hours after his address, the new president took action to target some of former President Donald Trump's most controversial initiatives and bolster the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Seated behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, wearing a mask, Mr. Biden signed a stack of executive orders and actions on immigration, climate change, COVID-19, racial equality and more. 

Among his first actions were orders to mandate the wearing of masks on all federal property, rejoin the Paris climate accord and boost federal support for underserved communities.

"I think some of the things we're going to be doing are going to be bold and vital, and there's no time to start like today," he told reporters. 

After the flurry of executive action, incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki held her first press briefing. "I have deep respect for the role of a free an independent press in our democracy and for the role all of you play," she told reporters.

Mr. Biden takes over at a time of tremendous upheaval and division, fueled both by his predecessor and the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 400,000 Americans. 

The inauguration ceremony earlier in the day was unlike any the country has ever seen, with a new president addressing an empty National Mall while thousands of National Guard troops stood watch over downtown Washington. The Mall was filled with thousands of small flags representing Americans who might otherwise have been in attendance, were it not for the pandemic.

Instead of inaugural balls, Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris opted for a 90-minute televised special called "Celebrating America" where they both spoke. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton appeared as well. The special was live on all broadcast networks, and was hosted by Tom Hanks and featured performances by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, John Legend and more. Katy Perry capped off the night with "Firework" before a fireworks display that Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden watched from the White House and Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff watched from the National Mall. 

Shortly before noon, when he officially became president, Mr. Biden took the oath of office, administered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Minutes earlier, Harris was sworn in, making history as the first woman and person of color to become second in line to the presidency.

After the swearing-in, Mr. Biden and Harris took part in modified pandemic-era versions of the ceremonial duties that traditionally surround the inauguration of a new president, accepting gifts from congressional leaders and laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before participating in a short parade to the White House before a modest, mask-wearing crowd.

Members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and outgoing Vice President Mike Pence were on hand to witness Mr. Biden's swearing-in, with seats spaced apart to prevent the spread of the virus. Three former presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton — were also among those in attendance.

Mr. Trump, however, was not there, having left Washington earlier Wednesday morning. Mr. Trump instead addressed supporters before boarding Air Force One for the last time as president to fly to Florida. He is the first outgoing president in more than 150 years to not attend the inauguration of his successor.

Cindy McCain says Joe Biden is "absolutely ready" to be president

Cindy McCain was introduced to her husband, the late Senator John McCain, by now first lady Jill Biden. "I'm just so grateful that they did introduce me because, you know, love of my life," McCain told CBS "Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell.  

Still, it was a surprise when the lifelong Republican  endorsed Joe Biden  for president — Arizona has a long history as a red state, with only one other Democratic presidential candidate winning there since 1948. McCain said she hopes her endorsement helped Mr. Biden win the White House. 

"I mean, that's why I did it. it. But I also think it was a change in the country. We saw people here, especially suburban people really frustrated with what was going on," she said. "And they stepped across the line like I did. And we voted together on this to make sure — to do it for what was right for our children and for our grandchildren." 

R ead more Cindy McCain says Joe Biden is "absolutely ready" to be president .

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-inaugurated-46th-president-united-states/#post-update-2f75b28e link copied

Katy Perry closes out concert with fireworks show

 After a rendition of Bill Withers' hit "Lovely Day" from Demi Lovato and an appearance by the Bidens from the White House balcony, Katy Perry gave the final performance of the night. She sang her hit "Firework" as a fireworks show lit up Washington, D.C. 

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden watched the display from the White House balcony, while Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff watched from the National Mall.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-inaugurated-46th-president-united-states/#post-update-ecb2780f link copied

3 former presidents congratulate Biden and praise "peaceful transfer of power"

Former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush recorded a message at Arlington National Cemetery celebrating the importance of the "peaceful transfer of power." 

"I think the fact that the three of us are standing here talking about a peaceful transfer of power speaks to the institutional integrity of our country," Mr. Bush said.

Mr. Clinton said the country is trying to "come back to normalcy" and "trying to do what we do best, trying to create a more perfect union. It's an exciting time."

Mr. Obama touted the importance of "not just listening to folks we agree with but also folks we don't." He said one of the "fondest moments" of his inauguration was when he met with Mr. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush. Former President Trump and former first lady Melania Trump did not meet with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden ahead of the inauguration. 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-inaugurated-46th-president-united-states/#post-update-f15d6cdd link copied

John Legend, Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard perform

John Legend sang and played on the piano the James Brown song "It's a New Day" before a tribute to healthcare workers that featured a recorded message from Sandra Lindsay, the New York City nurse who was the first person in America to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Today absolutely had us *feeling good*! Always an honor to have @JohnLegend make us dance, and @chrissyteigen make us laugh. 💃🏼 #Inauguration2021 pic.twitter.com/ip4sUesrrK — Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 21, 2021

"Our nurses care for thousands of people daily," Lindsay said. "We're often the last people to hold their hands. It has taken a toll of so many on the frontlines."

We owe a great debt of gratitude to health care workers like Sandra Lindsay for all they do to take care of us -- especially in the past year. pic.twitter.com/Jly2G359Xr — Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 21, 2021

Before Linsday spoke, Mr. Biden said "this crisis has shown the nation we literally could not survive without you." 

Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard performed "Undivided," which Hubbard said he wrote while he was quarantined with COVID-1, as a tribute to healthcare workers. "This song is a message of unity and faith, stirred my soul," McGraw said. 

. @TheTimMcGraw & @THubbmusic living our values and showing what America could look like if we were all a little more "Undivided". pic.twitter.com/iFGa3PMVah — Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 21, 2021

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Harris says Americans have the "courage to see beyond crisis"

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke for the first time after her swearing-in ceremony earlier Wednesday, highlighting "American aspiration" and "the courage to see beyond crisis."

She called it an "honor" to be there and "to stand on the shoulders of those who came before. To speak tonight as your vice president."

In keeping with the optimistic theme, she said, "in many ways, this embodies our character as a nation" and "even in dark times, we not only dream, we do." 

"We are bold, fearless, and ambitious," she said. "We are undaunted in our belief that we shall overcome, that we shall rise up. This is American aspiration."

“In many ways, this moment embodies our character as a nation. It demonstrates who we are, even in dark times. We not only dream, we do. We not only see what has been, we see what can be.” — Vice President Harris #Inauguration2021 pic.twitter.com/oKSV5t45JH — Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 21, 2021

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-inaugurated-46th-president-united-states/#post-update-788af46b link copied

Justin Timberlake, Ant Clemons and Foo Fighters perform

Musical performances continued after President Joe Biden spoke from the Lincoln Memorial. Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons performed their song "Better Days."

They were followed by the Foo Fighters, who dedicated their performance of "Times Like These" to "our unshakeable teachers."

Lin-Manuel Miranda read "Make Hope and History Rhyme" by Seamus Heaney, a poet often cited by Mr. Biden.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-inaugurated-46th-president-united-states/#post-update-1450367d link copied

"I will give my all to you," Biden says in brief speech

President Joe Biden gave a brief speech by the Lincoln Memorial, calling on Americans to live up to the moment. 

America's story depends not on any one person, but on every American, he said. Unity is the only way to get through darkness, Mr. Biden added. 

There are times in the nation's history when Americans need to do that much more for their country, Mr. Biden said. This is one of those times.

“Because of you, democracy has prevailed. That is why Jill and I, Kamala and Doug, wanted to make sure that our inauguration was not about us — but about you, the American people.” — President Biden #Inauguration2021 pic.twitter.com/bZAEGRu663 — Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 21, 2021

"Will we meet the moment like our forebearers have? I believe we must, and I believe we will," he said. 

The new president made a promise: "I will give my all to you." 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-inaugurated-46th-president-united-states/#post-update-0c118f66 link copied

Bruce Springsteen kicks off Biden inauguration primetime special "Celebrating America"

Bruce Springsteen opened up the 90-minute special "Celebrating America," hosted by Tom Hanks. Springsteen performed "Land of Hope and Dreams" with the Lincoln Memorial behind him.

Jon Bon Jovi performed "Here Comes the Sun" from a Miami boardwalk.

President Biden will speak later at the Lincoln Memorial.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-inaugurated-46th-president-united-states/#post-update-14a0379f link copied

Here's what Biden is looking to accomplish with Democrats in Congress

President Joe Biden faces challenges getting his priorities through Congress with a closely divided Senate. CBS News political contributor and Democratic strategist Lynda Tran joins CBSN's "Red & Blue" to discuss how President Biden aims to bring Congress together and the prospects for another COVID-19 relief bill.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-inaugurated-46th-president-united-states/#post-update-fb4d5ea9 link copied

White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds first briefing

White House press secretary Jen Psaki held her first press briefing Wednesday evening, saying President Joe Biden wants to bring truth and transparency back to the White House. 

"I have deep respect for the role of a free an independent press in our democracy and for the role all of you play," Psaki said. She added that there will certainly be times when the White House press corps and the White House press office disagree. 

Mr. Biden's first call with a foreign leader will be with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Psaki didn't say whether Mr. Biden will be speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but did say he intends to speak with America's allies in his early calls. 

Psaki said getting Mr. Biden's team confirmed by the Senate is "front-and-center" for Mr. Biden, prioritizing national security positions. Psaki also said Mr. Biden will be "quite involved" in COVID relief negotiations with Capitol Hill.

Asked if Mr. Biden believes Mr. Trump needs to be held accountable for the Capitol riots, Psaki said he's "going to leave it to members of Congress" to decide what the timeline and punishments will be for the former president. 

Psaki said she has no details on a first foreign trip for the president at this point in time. 

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Biden's first Cabinet nominee confirmed

The Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines to be director of national intelligence on Wednesday evening, making her the first of President Biden's Cabinet nominees to be confirmed. Haines was approved by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 84 to 10.

The Senate adjourned for the night after confirming Haines, and will reconvene at 12 p.m. on Thursday.  

"Avril Haines was the right choice for Director of National Intelligence. We appreciate the bipartisan cooperation to get her confirmed tonight, and we hope there will be a lot more of it because the nation is in crisis and we need President Biden's team in place as quickly as possible," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote that it was "appropriate" that Haines would be the first nominee confirmed by the Senate.

"I believe she is firmly committed to rebuilding the office of the Director of National Intelligence," Warner said, an implicit rebuke of the office under former President Trump. He said morale within the intelligence community had been damaged as officials had "seen many of their leaders fired for simply doing the right thing: speaking truth to power."

Read more here .

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Biden swears in appointees via videoconference

President Biden held a swearing-in ceremony for his appointees through a videoconference Wednesday evening. Appointees do not need to be confirmed by the Senate. 

Mr. Biden said this administration has an opportunity and privilege to impact people around the world. He said he expects honesty and dignity. 

The new commander-in-chief thanked the families of his appointees since the administration officials will be working long hours. 

The president spoke of the importance of containing the COVID-19 pandemic and distributing the vaccine, as well as of rescuing the economy and improving it. 

The president also promised that if he hears an appointee treat another colleague with disrespect or talk down to someone, he will fire that person on the spot. That's in contrast with Mr. Trump's approach, who sometimes believed the best ideas came from division and entertained factions among his staff. 

"If you're ever working with me and I hear you treated another colleague with disrespect — talk down to someone — I promise I will fire you on the spot. On the spot," Mr. Biden said. 

Mr. Biden said he is not concerned about his nominees being confirmed by the Senate. 

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Senate to vote on confirming Avril Haines as director of national intelligence

The Senate will vote this evening on whether to confirm Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, the first confirmation vote for a Biden nominee. Republican Senator Tom Cotton had previously objected to holding the vote on Haines' nomination quickly, but announced in a speech on the Senate floor that he was lifting his objection.

"I was the last person to object to holding that vote. I no longer object," Cotton said. He had initially objected to the vote because he was unclear on whether Haines wanted to reopen investigations into detention and interrogation programs from the early 2000s.

"She clarified in the private setting that we had that she had no intention to open up those investigations and expose operations officers inside the CIA to criminal prosecution or adverse employment action, or even holding it against them and potential future promotions or placements," Cotton said.

Haines is all but guaranteed to be confirmed, as Democrats now control the Senate.

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Biden signs first executive actions on climate, mask mandate and federal aid

Seated behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, the president signed three executive actions in the presence of reporters — implementing a mask mandate on federal property, increasing support for underserved communities, and rejoining the Paris climate accord. 

A stack of other orders was on the desk beside him. He was expected to sign 17 in total on Wednesday night, dealing with immigration, racial inequality, the pandemic and more.

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New Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer outlines priorities for Democrats

New Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor that lawmakers would get to work on implementing the "lengthy agenda" set by Mr. Biden, such as addressing the coronavirus pandemic.

"Today, the threat to our democracy from the presidency itself has ended, but the challenges we face as a nation remain," Schumer said. He added that this would be a "busy and consequential period for the United States Senate." 

Schumer said the Senate would work differently under a Democratic majority, implicitly drawing a contrast with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who as majority leader blocked several bills passed in the House from moving forward in the Senate.

"This Senate will legislate. It will be active, responsive, energetic and bold," Schumer said. He reached out to his Republican colleagues, saying he would aim to legislate on a bipartisan basis when possible, and that "the Senate works best when we work together."

However, in his first speech as minority leader, McConnell indicated he did not believe Democrats had a mandate, given their narrow majority in the Senate.

"Our country deserves both sides and both parties to find common ground for the common good where we can," McConnell said.

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Biden says Trump's letter was "very generous"

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after signing his first executive actions, Mr. Biden said the letter left for him by the former president before departing the White House was "very generous." 

"The president wrote a very generous letter," Mr. Biden, wearing a mask, said. "Because it was private, I will not talk about it until I talk to him."

Mr. Trump never met with Mr. Biden at the White House before the inauguration, and the two did not speak. The former president did, however, leave him a note, keeping with a tradition set by modern presidents.

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Harris swears in Ossoff, Warnock and Padilla, giving Democrats control of Senate

Harris returned to the Capitol for the first time as vice president on Wednesday to administer the oath of office for Democratic Senators Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock and Alex Padilla, in her capacity as president of the Senate. With the swearing-in of these three senators, Democrats now hold a narrow majority in the Senate of 50-50, with Harris breaking any tie.

Ossoff and Warnock won their runoff elections in Georgia earlier this month, and Padilla was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to replace Harris in the Senate.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont was sworn in as president pro tempore of the Senate, becoming third in line to the presidency.

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Biden enters White House for first time as president

After a brief military escort to Pennsylvania Avenue, the new president and first lady stepped out of the presidential motorcade and walked to the front of the White House with members of their family. 

On the way, Mr. Biden jogged over to the media to greet them, before joining his family on the walk inside. He also greeted D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden arrive on foot at the gate of the White House alongside their family. Flags from each state in the union line the driveway as the Biden family walks toward the front door. pic.twitter.com/ZihZ75Ntkm — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 20, 2021

The president waved to the small number of vetted supporters on the sidelines before walking down the North Lawn driveway and entering the White House for the first time as president.

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Biden and Harris, joined by 3 ex-presidents, lay wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The new commander in chief and vice president were joined by former Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton at a traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. 

Mr. Biden and Harris observed a moment of silence before a member of the military honor guard played "Taps" in the somber ceremony.

Three former presidents join President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. pic.twitter.com/WHDG3Fju0R — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 20, 2021

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Biden, Harris participate in Pass in Review of military troops

After receiving gifts from congressional leaders, Mr. Biden and Harris participated in the traditional Pass in Review, during which they reviewed military troops at the East Front of the Capitol.

Mr. Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, as well as Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, then got into separate cars, which will take them to Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The black limousine carrying Mr. Biden is adorned with the presidential seal and a license plate that says "46."

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Amanda Gorman reads "The Hill We Climb" at Biden's inauguration

Amanda Gorman made history Wednesday as the youngest known inaugural poet. The 22-year-old Los Angeles resident delivered her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration, and earned rave reviews for her powerful message.

Ahead of the performance, Gorman spoke about the impact of her poem with "CBS This Morning" and noted how the message changed after the violent attack on the Capitol. "I wanted it to be a message of hope and unity. And I think that Wednesday for me really just underscored how much that was needed," she said. "But to not turn a blind eye to the cracks that really need to be filled."

In 2017, Gorman became the first National Youth Poet Laureate. The Harvard graduate plans to release a children's book of poems later this year. Like Mr. Biden, Gorman has struggled with a speech impediment throughout her life, making poetry a "lifeline" for her. Also like Mr. Biden, she has a long-term goal of running for president.

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Pelosi and McConnell present Biden and Harris with flags that flew over Capitol

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell presented Mr. Biden and Harris with the American flags that flew over the Capitol as they were sworn in, as a part of the ceremony in which congressional leaders give gifts. 

McConnell took the opportunity to make a dig at the House, pointing out that both Harris and Mr. Biden skipped the House and went straight to the Senate. 

McConnell speaks at inaugural gift ceremony: "With all due respect to our distinguished Speaker and our colleagues from the House, I have to note — not only did we just swear in a son and daughter of the Senate, but indeed, both these former senators skipped the House altogether" pic.twitter.com/BKSymRY3oy — CBS News (@CBSNews) January 20, 2021

Other congressional leaders presented official photos of the inauguration to Harris and Mr. Biden.

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Biden signing ceremonial documents at the Capitol

Mr. Biden is signing three documents in the President's Room at the Capitol: an Inauguration Day Proclamation, nominations to Cabinet positions and nominations to lower-level positions.

Mr. Biden will also conduct a review of the armed forces on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol. He will be hosted by the commander of Joint Task Force-National Capital Region and will review the readiness of military troops, with every branch of the military represented.

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Pence departs inauguration, heading back to Indiana

Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff bid farewell to now-former Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence, escorting them down the steps on the East Front of the Capitol as they prepared to depart Washington for Indiana. 

The foursome spoke on the steps before the Pences got into a black SUV and left the Capitol complex.

Former Vice President Mike Pence and former Second Lady Karen Pence have departed Capitol Hill. @VP Kamala Harris and @SecondGentleman Douglas Emhoff shared words with Pence before leaving. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/NVV8UOa5k4 — CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) January 20, 2021

The Pences will take a small government plane on a "special air mission" to his hometown of Columbus, Indiana. One of the pilots that flew the couple from Indiana to Washington four years ago will be flying them back to their home state, a senior administration official said Tuesday.

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Biden White House secures social media handles, launches new website

The new White House has gained control of official Twitter handles, securing @WhiteHouse, @POTUS, @VP, @FLOTUS and @PressSec. The Trump-era accounts have been archived under new handles: @POTUS45, @WhiteHouse45, @VP45, @PressSec45, @FLOTUS45 and @SecondLady45.

The Twitter followers for the Trump-era accounts did not transfer to the new Biden White House accounts, a change from 2016, when Mr. Trump's team inherited the accounts' millions of followers.

There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face. That's why today, I am heading to the Oval Office to get right to work delivering bold action and immediate relief for American families. — President Biden (@POTUS) January 20, 2021

Mr. Biden's team has also taken over the White House Facebook page, and launched a revamped whitehouse.gov within minutes of Mr. Biden becoming president.

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Biden declares "democracy has prevailed," urging unity in inaugural address

In his 21-minute inauguration address , President Biden outlined an optimistic view of the future, and called for Americans to unify around common goals.

"This is America's day. This is democracy's day," Mr. Biden said. "Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause. The cause of democracy. The people, the will of the people, has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded."

Noting that he was being inaugurated on the Capitol steps just two weeks after it was stormed by a "riotous mob," Mr. Biden said that the country had learned that "democracy is precious, democracy is fragile, and at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed."

"This is a great nation. We are good people. And over the centuries, through storm and strife, in peace and in war, we've come so far. And we still have far to go. We'll press forward with speed and urgency, for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibilities," Mr. Biden said.

The president thanked his "predecessors of both parties for their presence here today," although his immediate predecessor Mr. Trump was absent.

Mr. Biden highlighted the struggles that the country must still overcome, including the coronavirus pandemic, domestic terrorism, white supremacy and racial injustice.

"To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America, requires so much more than words. It requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy: unity. Unity," he said. He quoted President Abraham Lincoln, whose "whole soul" was dedicated to "bringing America together." 

"Today on this January day, my whole soul is in this: bringing America together. Uniting our people. Uniting our nation. And I ask every American to join me in this cause," Mr. Biden said.

Mr. Biden acknowledged that it may seem difficult to achieve unity in such a divided nation, perhaps a tacit acknowledgment of the Republicans in Congress who objected to the Electoral College results in an effort to overturn the election.

"I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy these days. I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also know they are not new," Mr. Biden said. "Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for total war. And we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured." 

Mr. Biden also reached out to supporters of Mr. Trump, urging them to "hear me out."

"Hear me out, as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart. If we still disagree, so be it. That's democracy. That's America. The right to dissent peaceably within the guardrails of our Republic is perhaps this nation's greatest strength," Mr. Biden said. "Yet hear me clearly: Disagreement must not lead to disunion. And I pledge this to you: I will be a president for all Americans. All Americans. And I promise you, I fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did."

Mr. Biden also said that he understood those who "view the future with fear and trepidation," but urged Americans to try to connect with those who disagree with them.

"We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal," he said, adding that "we must set aside politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation, one nation."

Mr. Biden sought to reassure the American public, saying "we will get through this together," and also briefly addressed foreign audiences watching his speech.

"America has been tested. And we've come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again. Not to meet yesterday's challenges, but today's and tomorrow's challenges," Mr. Biden said.

Mr. Biden also acknowledged the 400,000 Americans lost to the coronavirus pandemic, leading the audience in a "silent prayer" honoring the victims and their families.

"I promise you, we will be judged — you and I — for how we resolve these cascading crises of our era," he said.

He closed his speech with a "sacred oath," promising to defend the Constitution, tell the truth and lead the people without selfishness, an implicit rebuke to Mr. Trump.

"I will always level with you. I will defend the Constitution. I will defend our democracy. I will defend America," Mr. Biden said. "With purpose and resolve, we turn to those tasks of our time, sustained by faith, driven by conviction, and devoted to each other and the country that we love with all our hearts."

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Biden officially sworn into office as 46th president

At 11:49 a.m., Joe Biden was sworn into office by Chief Justice John Roberts. 

His wife, Second Lady Jill Biden, held up a family Bible for him. Mr. Biden pledged to "faithfully execute" the office of the United States, and "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution to the best of my ability, so help me God."

Mr. Biden officially becomes president at noon.

Ashley Biden and Hunter Biden also accompanied Mr. Biden on stage. 

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Harris takes the oath of office, making history as vice president

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor administered the oath of office for Harris. With her hand on the Bible held by her husband, Harris swore to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Harris is the first woman vice president, as well as the first Black and Asian-American vice president.

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Lady Gaga performs national anthem

Clutching a gold microphone, Lady Gaga sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the lectern where Mr. Biden will deliver his remarks:

Recording artist Lady Gaga sings the National Anthem at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. pic.twitter.com/fZdhukIBPG — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 20, 2021

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Biden to be sworn in using family Bible

Mr. Biden will be sworn in using a Bible that has been in his family since 1893 and was used during his swearing-in as vice president in 2009 and 2013, a source familiar with the matter tells CBS News. It was also used each time he was sworn in as a U.S. senator. It is five inches thick, with a Celtic cross on the cover.

The president-elect's late son Beau Biden also used the Bible for his own swearing-in ceremony as attorney general of Delaware, and helped carry the Bible to his father's 2013 ceremony.

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Inaugural ceremony gets underway on Capitol steps

As lawmakers and guests took their seats on the platform on the West Front of the Capitol, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar and Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, the co-chairs of the committee in charge of organizing the ceremony, kicked off proceedings with remarks stressing the gravity of the moment and the importance of a peaceful transfer of power.

Klobuchar: "When an angry, violent mob staged an insurrection and desecrated this temple of our democracy, it awaken us to our responsibilities as Americans. This is the day when our democracy picks itself up, brushes off the dust and does what America always does — goes forward" pic.twitter.com/peNkgXC8Mf — CBS News (@CBSNews) January 20, 2021

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Pence arrives at Capitol for swearing-in ceremony

Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence have arrived at the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony, proceeding down the Capitol steps to take their seats close to the lectern where Mr. Biden will deliver his inaugural address. 

Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence arrive at the U.S. Capitol for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. Pres. Trump has arrived in Florida. pic.twitter.com/vJaATLPJB5 — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 20, 2021

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton approached Pence to shake hands soon after he arrived.

Pence declined to attend Mr. Trump's send-off at Joint Base Andrews earlier in the day, with an aide saying it would conflict with his commitment to attend the inauguration.

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Trump lands in Florida, completing final Air Force One ride as president

Mr. Trump landed at Palm Beach International Airport at 10:54 a.m., completing his final ride aboard Air Force One as president. 

Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump, Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Tiffany Trump and her fiance, and Barron Trump were all on board. Mr. Trump spent the flight with his family, according to pool reporters. 

Mr. Trump will be spending his days at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. 

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Small number of National Guard troops withheld from inauguration duty

A defense official tells CBS News that a small number of additional National Guard troops have been held out of inauguration security as a result of Secret Service and FBI screening. The number of additional guardsmen withheld from security is in the single digits, the official said.

It appears that none of them were held due to possible links to extremist groups, but were held for other reasons such as outstanding legal problems. On Tuesday, two guardsmen were held out for possible extremist links , as well as 10 guardsmen for other reasons. As of Wednesday, the number held out for possible extremist links was still two, but the number held out for other reasons is closer to 20.

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Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, who led mob from Senate, escorts Harris

U.S. Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman , who led a mob of Mr. Trump's supporters away from the Senate floor during the January 6 riots, escorted Harris up the Capitol steps as she and Mr. Biden arrived for the inauguration.

Goodman has been named the acting deputy House sergeant at arms.

Eugene Goodman, the Capitol Police officer who led rioters away from the Senate chamber, will escort Kamala Harris at the inauguration as the new acting deputy House Sergeant at Arms pic.twitter.com/pcRralajkq — Norah O'Donnell 🇺🇸 (@NorahODonnell) January 20, 2021

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Biden and Harris arrive at the Capitol

The incoming president and vice president have arrived at the Capitol for their swearing-in ceremony, entering the building's East Front roughly 45 minutes before the proceedings are set to begin.

Lawmakers and guests are filing in to seating areas on the West Front of the Capitol, where Mr. Biden will deliver his inaugural address.

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Obama to Biden: "This is your time"

Former President Barack Obama extended congratulations to his former vice president ahead of his swearing-in.

"Congratulations to my friend, President @JoeBiden! This is your time," Mr. Obama tweeted .

Congratulations to my friend, President @JoeBiden ! This is your time. pic.twitter.com/LXzxGnBAfz — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 20, 2021

Mr. Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama will be among the former presidents in attendance at Mr. Biden's inauguration. They will also attend the wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery later this afternoon.

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Biden's national security team to begin work before inauguration

Mr. Biden's incoming staff on the National Security Council will start working at 10 a.m. when the outgoing Trump team hands off their duties, incoming press secretary Jen Psaki confirms to CBS News. These officials do not require Senate confirmation and will immediately be at their posts. 

Mr. Biden will be the first commander in chief in modern history to begin his presidency without a single Cabinet secretary confirmed by the Senate to run federal agencies, and no commitment from the Senate on a date for their confirmation. That includes the 4th and 5th in line for the presidency — the secretaries of state and treasury, respectively.

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Trump left Biden a note in Oval Office

The president left a note for Mr. Biden in the Oval Office, according to deputy White House press secretary Judd Deere.

It's unclear what the note said, but it is a modern tradition for an outgoing president to leave a message for his successor.

Vice President Mike Pence also left a letter for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the vice president's desk in the West Wing, a senior administration official confirms to CBS News.

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Trump wishes "new administration" well in final remarks as president

In his final public remarks as the 45th president of the United States, Mr. Trump went off-script and declined to mention Mr. Biden or Harris by name and title, as was in his prepared remarks. Instead, Mr. Trump offered well wishes to the "new administration" while saying he hoped to be back "in some form." 

"I wish the new administration great luck and great success," Mr. Trump told a crowd of supporters assembled at Joint Base Andrews to see him off. "I think they'll have great success. They have the foundation to do something really spectacular."

Instead of attending Mr. Biden's inauguration, Mr. Trump and first lady Melania Trump are leaving Washington early, marking the first time in more than 150 years the outgoing president has skipped his successor's swearing-in .

Several hundred people assembled at Joint Base Andrews near Air Force One for the remarks, including Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Lara Trump and Tiffany Trump. As the president delivered his remarks, the crowd chanted, "Thank you, Trump."

Mr. Trump declared that his was "not a regular administration," and thanked his family, Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence. 

In her own brief remarks at Mr. Trump's urging, Melania Trump said "being your first lady was my greatest honor."

"Thank you for your love and your support. You will be in my thoughts and prayers," she said. "God bless you all, God bless your families and God bless this beautiful nation."

Mr. Trump highlighted the work of his administration, including the development and distribution of coronavirus vaccines through Operation Warp Speed. Mr. Trump spoke of the pandemic as if it was in the past, saying, "as bad as the pandemic was," as 400,000 Americans and counting have died. 

"We have worked hard. We left it all, as the athletes would say, we left it all on the field," Mr. Trump said. "Goodbye. We love you. We will be back in some form."

The president urged the American people to remember the work of his administration amid future economic gains, saying "remember us."

"I hope they don't raise your taxes. But if they do, I told you so," he said of the incoming Biden administration.

Mr. Trump closed with brief well-wishes to his supporters, saying, "Have a good life. We will see you soon."

Kathryn Watson and Melissa Quinn

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Biden attending Mass with congressional leaders before inauguration

Mr. Biden is attending Mass on Wednesday morning at St. Matthew's Cathedral, a historic church just blocks from the White House. He will be joined by the top four congressional leaders: incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Mr. Biden is only the second Catholic president to take office, after President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy's funeral service was held at St. Matthew's in 1963, and Pope Francis visited the church in 2015.

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Trump leaves White House on Marine One for last time

The president exited the White House and boarded Marine One on the South Lawn for a brief flight to Joint Base Andrews, where he will address a crowd of several hundred supporters before flying to Florida on Air Force One. 

Mr. Trump stopped to speak with reporters assembled on the South Lawn, which he has seldom done since the election.

Marine One passed by the Washington Monument, which is closed to the public, and the U.S. Capitol building, which a mob of Mr. Trump supporters stormed January 6, on the way to Joint Base Andrews.

The president told reporters it has been a "great honor" and "honor of a lifetime." Mr. Trump said he wanted to walk over to say goodbye, but added that hopefully it would not be a long goodbye, according to pool reporters. 

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Trump reverses 2017 executive order aimed at "draining the swamp"

Just after 1 a.m. on January 20, the White House announced Mr. Trump issued an executive order revoking one of his first actions as president that aimed to fulfill his campaign pledge to "drain the swamp," releasing executive branch appointees from a slew of ethics requirements — including a lobbying ban — just before he leaves office.

Issued January 28, 2017, the now-revoked executive order required aides to sign an ethics pledge in which they committed not to lobby their respective agencies up to five years after leaving government or engage in activity on behalf of a foreign entity.

The pledge also barred political appointees from participating in any matter involving their former employers or clients for a period of two years from their date of appointment. Those who were registered lobbyists within two years prior to joining the Trump administration vowed not to participate in any matter on which they lobbied for a two-year span.

The executive order from Mr. Trump is one of his final acts before leaving office.

"Executive Order 13770 of January 28, 2017, 'Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Appointees,' is hereby revoked, effective at noon January 20, 2021.  Employees and former employees subject to the commitments in Executive Order 13770 will not be subject to those commitments after noon January 20, 2021," the order states.

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Biden's schedule on Inauguration Day

Mr. Biden, Harris, incoming first lady Jill Biden and incoming second gentleman Douglas Emhoff are beginning the day with a church service at Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington. They'll be joined by all four congressional leaders at the first event of a busy Inauguration Day.

Here's a look at the schedule for the president-elect and vice president-elect for the rest of the day:

8:45 a.m.: Church service at St. Matthew the Apostle

10:30 a.m.: Arrive at the Capitol

11:15 a.m.: Participate in swearing-in ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol

12 p.m.: Mr. Biden and Harris are sworn into office, and the president delivers his inaugural address

1:40 p.m.: Mr. Biden and Harris review military troops from the East Front of the Capitol

2:25 p.m.: Wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery

3:15 p.m.: Mr. Biden and Harris receive a presidential escort to the White House

5:15 p.m.: Mr. Biden signs executive orders and actions

5:45 p.m.: Mr. Biden swears in presidential appointees in virtual ceremony

7 p.m.: White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds first press briefing

8:48 p.m.: Participate in "Celebrate America" inaugural ceremony

9:55 p.m.: Appear on Blue Room balcony at the White House

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Biden to sign Day 1 orders to reverse Trump immigration policies

Biden intends to invoke his executive authority during his first day in office to start dismantling some of the Trump administration's immigration policy changes, including its pre-pandemic travel restrictions on several majority Muslim countries, changes to the Census and efforts to end protections for so-called "Dreamers."

Mr. Biden plans to sign  17 executive orders  — including several immigration-related directives — shortly after being sworn in on Wednesday afternoon, according to top incoming White House officials. The spate of orders is the start of the incoming Democratic administration's efforts to reverse many of the more than 400 immigration changes President Trump made without Congress.

"President-elect Biden is taking historic action on day one to advance his agenda," said incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who briefed reporters late Tuesday.

One memo will order the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to take "all appropriate actions" to safeguard the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that offers works permits and deportation relief to more than 640,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Mr. Trump's attempts to suspend DACA were all blocked in court, but a federal judge in Texas has yet to rule on a request by Republican attorneys general who the program declared unlawful.

Another executive directive will revoke Mr. Trump's travel and immigration restrictions on a group of 13 countries, most of which are predominantly Muslim or African. The order will instruct the State Department to process visa applications from the 13 countries and to develop a plan to "remedy the harms caused by the bans."

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Trump issues slew of pardons and commutations in final hours

On his way out the door, President Trump pardoned 73 people, including his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, and commuted the sentences of 70 others. The White House announced the last-minute flurry of pardons and commutations early on Wednesday, Mr. Trump's last day in office.

No members of the president's family — including Mr. Trump himself — were on the list. There was considerable speculation in the waning days of his term over whether he would issue presumptive pardons for himself, any of his children or son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Also missing from the list — Rudy Giuliani — Mr. Trump's personal attorney, who led legal efforts to prove false claims that Mr. Trump won the presidential election over Joe Biden.

Among others getting pardons were former top GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy and rapper Lil Wayne.

Bannon was  indicted  in August for allegedly defrauding donors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars with a fundraising campaign to build a wall along the southern border, known as the "We build the wall" campaign. The scheme raised $25 million, and Bannon was accused of taking $1 million to cover personal expenses and pay another person accused in the scheme.

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Lithuanian presidential hopefuls vow to stand up to Russian threat

Lithuanians vote on Sunday in a presidential election expected to hand a new term to incumbent Gitanas Nauseda, a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its two-year war with Russia, following a campaign focusing on security concerns in the Baltic states.

What Trump promised oil CEOs as he asked them to steer $1 billion to his campaign

Donald Trump has pledged to scrap President Biden’s policies on electric vehicles and wind energy, as well as other initiatives opposed by the fossil fuel industry.

As Donald Trump sat with some of the country’s top oil executives at his Mar-a-Lago Club last month, one executive complained about how they continued to face burdensome environmental regulations despite spending $400 million to lobby the Biden administration in the last year.

Trump’s response stunned several of the executives in the room overlooking the ocean: You all are wealthy enough, he said, that you should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House. At the dinner, he vowed to immediately reverse dozens of President Biden ’s environmental rules and policies and stop new ones from being enacted, according to people with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation.

Giving $1 billion would be a “deal,” Trump said, because of the taxation and regulation they would avoid thanks to him, according to the people.

Trump’s remarkably blunt and transactional pitch reveals how the former president is targeting the oil industry to finance his reelection bid. At the same time, he has turned to the industry to help shape his environmental agenda for a second term, including rollbacks of some of Biden’s signature achievements on clean energy and electric vehicles.

The contrast between the two candidates on climate policy could not be more stark. Biden has called global warming an “existential threat,” and over the last three years, his administration has finalized more than 100 new environmental regulations aimed at cutting air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, restricting toxic chemicals, and conserving public lands and waters. In comparison, Trump has called climate change a “hoax,” and his administration weakened or wiped out more than 125 environmental rules and policies over four years.

In recent months, the Biden administration has raced to overturn Trump’s environmental actions and issue new ones before the November election. So far, Biden officials have overturned 27 Trump actions affecting the fossil fuel industry and completed at least 24 new actions affecting the sector, according to a Washington Post analysis . The Interior Department, for instance, recently blocked future oil drilling across 13 million acres of the Alaskan Arctic .

Despite the oil industry’s complaints about Biden’s policies, the United States is now producing more oil than any country ever has , pumping nearly 13 million barrels per day on average last year. ExxonMobil and Chevron, the largest U.S. energy companies, reported their biggest annual profits in a decade last year.

Yet oil giants will see an even greater windfall — helped by new offshore drilling, speedier permits and other relaxed regulations — in a second Trump administration, the former president told the executives over the dinner of chopped steak at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump vowed at the dinner to immediately end the Biden administration’s freeze on permits for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports — a top priority for the executives, according to three people present. “You’ll get it on the first day,” Trump said, according to the recollection of an attendee.

The roughly two dozen executives invited included Mike Sabel, the CEO and founder of Venture Global, and Jack Fusco, the CEO of Cheniere Energy, whose proposed projects would directly benefit from lifting the pause on new LNG exports. Other attendees came from companies including Chevron, Continental Resources, Exxon and Occidental Petroleum, according to an attendance list obtained by The Post.

Trump told the executives that he would start auctioning off more leases for oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, a priority that several of the executives raised. He railed against wind power, as The Post previously reported. And he said he would reverse the restrictions on drilling in the Alaskan Arctic.

“You’ve been waiting on a permit for five years; you’ll get it on Day 1,” Trump told the executives, according to the recollection of the attendee.

At the dinner, Trump also promised that he would scrap Biden’s “mandate” on electric vehicles — mischaracterizing ambitious rules that the Environmental Protection Agency recently finalized , according to people who attended. The rules require automakers to reduce emissions from car tailpipes, but they don’t mandate a particular technology such as EVs. Trump called the rules “ridiculous” in the meeting with donors.

The fossil fuel industry has aggressively lobbied against the EPA’s tailpipe rules, which could eat into demand for its petroleum products. The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, an industry trade group, has launched a seven-figure campaign against what it calls a de facto “gas car ban.” The campaign includes ads in battleground states warning that the rule will restrict consumer choice.

“Clearly, if you are producing gasoline and diesel, you want to make sure that there’s enough market there,” said Stephen Brown, an energy consultant and a former lobbyist for Tesoro, an oil refining company. “I don’t know that the oil industry would walk in united with a set of asks for the Trump administration, but I think it’s important for this issue to get raised.”

Although the repeal of the EPA rule would benefit the fossil fuel industry, it would probably anger the auto industry, which has invested billions of dollars in the transition away from gasoline-powered cars. Many automakers are under increasing pressure to sell more EVs in Europe, which has tightened its own tailpipe emissions rules, and they are eager to avoid a patchwork of regulations around the globe.

“Automakers need some degree of regulatory certainty from government,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Toyota and other car companies.

“What has emerged instead is a wholesale repeal … and then reinstatement … and then repeal again of regulations every four or eight years,” Bozzella said in an email.

Biden’s EV policies have also sparked opposition in Republican-led rural states such as North Dakota, where there are far more oil pump jacks than charging stations. A key figure leading the Trump campaign’s development of its energy policy is North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), who has been talking extensively to oil donors and CEOs.

At a fundraiser on Saturday in Palm Beach, Fla., Burgum told donors that Trump would halt Biden’s “attack” on fossil fuels, according to a recording of his remarks obtained by The Post.

“What would be the No. 1 thing that President Trump could do on Day 1? It’s stop the hostile attack against all American energy, and I mean all,” Burgum said. “Whether it’s baseload electricity, whether it’s oil, whether it’s gas, whether it’s ethanol, there is an attack on liquid fuels.”

Burgum also criticized the Biden administration’s policies on gas stoves and vehicles with internal combustion engines, claiming that they would prevent consumers from buying both technologies. While the Energy Department recently set new efficiency standards for gas stoves, they would not affect the stoves in people’s kitchens or those currently on the market.

“They’ve got some liberal idea about what products we need,” Burgum said. “You all need EV cars. You don’t need internal combustion. We’ll decide what kind of car you’re going to drive, and we’re going to regulate the other ones out of business. I mean, it’s just in every industry, not just in cars, not just in energy. They’re telling people what stoves you can buy. This is not America.”

The Biden campaign initially declined to comment for this article. After it was published, however, Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa said in a statement that “Donald Trump is selling out working families to Big Oil for campaign checks. It’s that simple.”

“It doesn’t matter to Trump that oil and gas companies charge working families and middle-class Americans whatever they want while raking in record profits — if Donald can cash a check, he’ll do what they say,” Moussa added.

Burgum — a possible contender to lead the Energy Department in a second Trump term — has pushed harder to address climate change than many other Republicans. He set a goal in 2021 for North Dakota — the third-largest oil-producing state — to become carbon-neutral by 2030. He has stressed, however, that the goal won’t be achieved via government mandates or the elimination of fossil fuels, and he has cultivated deep support among oil donors.

Despite Trump’s huge fundraising ask, oil donors and their allies have yet to donate hundreds of millions to his campaign. They have contributed more than $6.4 million to Trump’s joint fundraising committee in the first three months of this year, according to an analysis by the advocacy group Climate Power. Oil billionaire Harold Hamm and others are scheduling a fundraiser for Trump later this year, advisers said, where they expect large checks to flow to his bid to return to office.

One person involved in the industry said many oil executives wanted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or another Republican to challenge Biden. But now that Trump is the nominee, this person said, they are going to embrace his policies and give.

Dan Eberhart, chief executive of the oil-field services company Canary and a Trump donor, said the Republican onslaught of donations was not surprising.

“Biden constantly throws a wet blanket to the oil and gas industry,” Eberhart said. “Trump’s ‘drill, baby, drill’ philosophy aligns much better with the oil patch than Biden’s green-energy approach. It’s a no-brainer.”

Alex Witt, a senior adviser for oil and gas with Climate Power, said Trump’s promise is he will do whatever the oil industry wants if they support him. With Trump, Witt said, “everything has a price.”

“They got a great return on their investment during Trump’s first term, and Trump is making it crystal clear that they’re in for an even bigger payout if he’s reelected,” she said.

John Muyskens contributed to this report .

Election 2024

Get the latest news on the 2024 election from our reporters on the campaign trail and in Washington.

Who is running? President Biden and Donald Trump secured their parties’ nominations for the presidency . Here’s how we ended up with a Trump-Biden rematch again.

Key dates and events: From January to June, voters in all states and U.S. territories will pick their party’s nominee for president ahead of the summer conventions. Here are key dates and events on the 2024 election calendar .

Abortion and the election: Voters in about a dozen states could decide the fate of abortion rights with constitutional amendments on the ballot in a pivotal election year. Biden supports legal access to abortion , and he has encouraged Congress to pass a law that would codify abortion rights nationwide. After months of mixed signals about his position, Trump said the issue should be left to states . Here’s how Biden’s and Trump’s abortion stances have shifted over the years.

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At a Dinner, Trump Assailed Climate Rules and Asked $1 Billion From Big Oil

At a private meeting at Mar-a-Lago, the former president said fossil fuel companies should donate to help him beat President Biden.

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By Lisa Friedman ,  Coral Davenport ,  Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman

Former President Donald J. Trump told a group of oil executives and lobbyists gathered at a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort last month that they should donate $1 billion to his presidential campaign because, if elected, he would roll back environmental rules that he said hampered their industry, according to two people who were there.

About 20 people attended an April 11 event billed as an “energy round table” at Mr. Trump’s private club, according to those people, who asked not to be identified in order to discuss the private event. Attendees included executives from ExxonMobil, EQT Corporation and the American Petroleum Institute, which lobbies for the oil industry.

The event was organized by the oil billionaire Harold Hamm, who has for years helped to shape Republican energy policies. It was first reported by The Washington Post.

Mr. Trump has publicly railed for months against President Biden’s energy and environmental agenda, as Mr. Biden has raced to restore and strengthen dozens of climate and conservation rules that Mr. Trump had weakened or erased while in office. In particular, Mr. Trump has promised to eliminate Mr. Biden’s new climate rules intended to accelerate the nation’s transition to electric vehicles, and to push a “drill, baby, drill” agenda aimed at opening up more public lands to oil and gas exploration.

Mr. Biden has called climate change an existential threat and has moved to cut the pollution that is dangerously heating the planet and supercharging storms, heat waves and drought.

Over a dinner of chopped steak, Mr. Trump repeated his public promises to delete Mr. Biden’s pollution controls, telling the attendees that they should donate heavily to help him beat Mr. Biden because his policies would help their industries.

“That has been his pitch to everybody,” said Michael McKenna, who worked in the Trump White House but did not attend the event in Florida.

Mr. McKenna said the former president’s appeal to the fossil fuel industry could be summed up as: “Look, you want me to win. You might not even like me, but your other choice is four more years of these guys,” referring to the Biden administration. He added, “The uniform sentiment of guys in the business community is ‘We don’t want four more years of Team Biden.’”

Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, did not address the specifics of what Mr. Trump was described as saying at the dinner. In a statement, she attacked President Biden as controlled “by environmental extremists who are trying to implement the most radical energy agenda in history and force Americans to purchase electric vehicles they can’t afford,” and that Mr. Trump is “supported by people who share his vision of American energy dominance to protect our national security and bring down the cost of living for all Americans.”

Mr. Biden’s presidential campaign on Thursday accused Mr. Trump of “straight up selling out working families for campaign donations from oil barons.”

Mr. Biden has frustrated the fossil fuel industry by pursuing the most ambitious climate agenda in the nation’s history. He has signed a sweeping law that pumps $370 billion into incentives for clean energy and electric vehicles and has enacted a suite of tough regulations designed to sharply reduce emissions from the burning of oil, gas and coal.

This year, the Biden administration paused the permitting process for new facilities that export liquefied natural gas in order to study their impact on climate change, the economy and national security.

But the fossil fuel industry has also enjoyed record profits under the Biden administration. Last year, the United States produced record amounts of oil . And even with the pause in new permits for gas export terminals, the United States is the world’s leading exporter of natural gas and is still on track to nearly double its export capacity by 2027 because of projects already permitted and under construction.

Mr. Biden has also approved several oil and gas projects sought by the fossil fuel industry.

He has authorized an enormous $8 billion oil development in Alaska known as the Willow project. He also granted a crucial permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a project championed by Senator Joe Manchin III, a West Virginia Democrat, despite opposition from climate experts and environmental groups. Last month, undeterred by opposition from climate activists, the Biden administration also gave approval for an oil export project in Texas known as the Sea Port Oil Terminal.

Some oil and gas executives have said that they would prefer some of Mr. Biden’s regulations to remain, such as a rule requiring companies to detect and stop methane leaks from oil and gas wells. They said they wanted consistency rather than an endless pattern of regulatory whiplash in which rules are enacted by one administration, repealed by the next and restored by the one after that.

Many, however, have attacked Mr. Biden’s policies, and the industry has contributed heavily to Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign.

Although attendees were told that Mr. Trump’s event was an energy round table, waiting on the chairs of executives and lobbyists at Mar-a-Lago were printouts of PowerPoint slides about migrants at the southern border.

Part of the meeting dwelled on migration, and Mr. Trump declared he wanted separate divisions of Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters: one designated for immigrants who came across the border illegally, and the other for “Americans.”

The room was filled predominantly with oil and gas executives, including Mike Sabel, the chief executive and founder of Venture Global LNG; Toby Rice, the president and chief executive of EQT Corporation; Jack Fusco, the chief executive of Cheniere Energy; and Nick Dell’Osso, the president of Chesapeake Energy.

Also in the room were Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota and a former Republican presidential candidate who has been acting as Mr. Trump’s point man on energy issues; and Mr. Hamm, the billionaire executive chairman of Continental Resources, which is among the biggest oil and gas drilling companies in Oklahoma and North Dakota.

Accompanied by Susie Wiles, his top political adviser; Taylor Budowich, a former aide; and Meredith O’Rourke, a fund-raiser, Mr. Trump asked the executives to detail their concerns on energy issues, according to the two attendees.

The American Petroleum Institute, the nation’s top fossil fuel industry group, is running an eight-figure national advertising campaign to promote fossil fuels and “dismantle policy threats,” Mike Sommers, the chief executive of the trade group, has said. Separately, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, which represents petroleum refiners, has started to buy ads in nine battleground states urging Americans to fight Mr. Biden’s regulation on tailpipe emissions.

And states with Republican attorneys general have filed legal challenges against most if not all of Mr. Biden’s regulations, including a suit announced on Thursday by 27 states arguing that the administration overstepped its authority in cracking down on smokestack pollution from power plants.

But Mr. Trump told executives they were not fighting hard enough. He also went on a rant about windmills, the attendees said. Mr. Trump has falsely claimed that wind turbines cause cancer and that offshore wind farms are “driving whales crazy .”

Mr. Trump did not request money in exchange for killing Mr. Biden’s climate regulations, the two people in the room maintained. Rather, the former president told executives that he was determined to squash what he considered anti-business policies, and that the oil industry should therefore want him to win and should raise $1 billion to ensure his success.

He told the executives that the amount of money they would save in taxes and legal expenses after he repealed regulations would more than cover a billion dollar contribution, the people said.

Mr. Hamm has had Mr. Trump’s ear on energy issues dating back to the former president’s 2016 campaign and pushed him to appoint Scott Pruitt to run the Environmental Protection Agency, where Mr. Pruitt denied the established science of climate change and unraveled environmental protections.

After Mr. Trump lost the 2020 election, Mr. Hamm briefly supported some of the former president’s rivals, including Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. But the oil tycoon appeared to have had a change of heart. Mr. Hamm donated $3,300 to Mr. Trump’s campaign last year, the maximum allowed for a primary contribution, and another $3,300 in March, according to campaign filings.

Mr. Hamm did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr. McKenna said Mr. Hamm continued to play an outsize role in Mr. Trump’s energy policy. “If Harold has an idea, the rest of us have to chase it around,” he said. “Harold Hamm wants that L.N.G. pause gone, he wants the California waiver and the tailpipe rule gone.”

California has for decades received waivers under the Clean Air Act that authorize it to set environmental rules that are tougher than federal regulations. To do business in California, automakers and other industries must comply with its rules. Mr. Trump has promised to revoke California’s waivers.

An earlier version of a picture caption with this article misstated the location of Mar-a-Lago. It is in Palm Beach, Fla., not West Palm Beach.

How we handle corrections

Lisa Friedman is a Times reporter who writes about how governments are addressing climate change and the effects of those policies on communities. More about Lisa Friedman

Coral Davenport covers energy and environment policy, with a focus on climate change, for The Times. More about Coral Davenport

Jonathan Swan is a political reporter covering the 2024 presidential election and Donald Trump’s campaign. More about Jonathan Swan

Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign, down ballot races across the country and the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. More about Maggie Haberman

Our Coverage of the 2024 Election

Presidential Race

President Biden’s economic adviser said lawmakers should sharply raise taxes on corporations and the rich  when tax cuts signed in law by former President Trump expire next year.

A partisan battle in Ohio has stalled an effort by state lawmakers to ensure that President Biden is on the ballot  in the state this November, teeing up what could be an expensive and protracted legal battle ahead of this year’s election.

Donald Trump told a group of oil executives and lobbyists that they should donate $1 billion to his presidential campaign  because, if elected, he would roll back environmental rules that he said hampered their industry.

Mexico Prepares for a Trump Win:  Behind the scenes, the Mexican government is talking to people close  to the Trump campaign about proposals such as a threat of a “universal tariff” on imported goods, and working to resolve trade disagreements before the U.S. election.

R.F.K. Jr. Signature Gatherers:  More than half a dozen New York City residents described encounters with people seeking  their signature who did not make clear that their aim was to place the independent 2024 candidate on the ballot.

Sensing Shift on Abortion:  Are Latinas — once considered too religious or too socially conservative to support abortion rights — changing their views on the issue? Democrats are optimistic .

A Wild Card in Texas:  Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate, expects to be on the ballot in Texas. His addition could lend a hand to the Democratic challenger seeking to unseat Senator Ted Cruz .

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