Guardian columnist Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and a veteran of Democratic administrations stretching back to the 70s. He was secretary of labor under Bill Clinton when he was president before advising Barack Obama. Reich has attended past inaugurations, but he tells Anushka Asthana that this one – marked by the striking presence of some 20,000 National Guard troops in Washington DC – is vastly different.
Biden takes office just days after the House of Representatives voted to impeach Donald Trump for “willful incitement of insurrection” in connection with his supporters’ violent siege on the Capitol. In addition to overseeing Trump’s Senate trial, the Biden administration must address the raging coronavirus pandemic, which has now killed 400,000 Americans, and a major economic downturn, among other issues. What do Biden’s cabinet picks and policy briefings tell us about his plans? And will he be able to deliver on his promises to heal and unite the country?
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