United States | From the gilded age to the golden age

The new American imperialism

Donald Trump is the first president in more than 100 years to call for new American territory—including Mars

US President Donald Trump throws pens to the crowd after signing executive orders during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena, in Washington
Photograph: Getty Images

THE TRADITIONAL point of an inaugural address is to transcend the politics of the campaign and draw the country together. Donald Trump’s second inaugural was not that. But it stuck with tradition in other ways—it’s just that the traditions in question were much older.

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