What Editorials Think of Trump's Day One

President Trump described an America in "decline" in his inaugural address on Monday and promised to set things right. A look at how Trump's message, along with his mass pardoning of Jan. 6 defendants, is being received in editorials:

• Wall Street Journal: Trump "delivered a message of aspiration and optimism that most Americans will welcome," declares the editorial, which notes a marked contrast from his inauguration address eight years ago. Referencing a MAGA debate, the editors say the speech tilted more toward Elon Musk than Steve Bannon. "American democracy is said to be under threat these days, but if Monday is a guide perhaps less than many think," it concludes. "Opponents were respectful of the transfer of power, the mood solemn but also joyful for Trump partisans. Trump II is off to a better start than we might have imagined only a few months ago."

• Washington Post: The editorial quibbles with the notion that America is in decline and says the president is inheriting a "vibrant economy." As such, he "has a responsibility to make sure that his policies do not endanger it through tariffs and poorly conceived deportations of undocumented immigrants." Trump's challenge will be to avoid making both the economy and the nation's political polarization worse through his political agenda. His legacy, and the future of his party, depend on it, says the editorial.
• New York Post: The editorial lauds the address as "optimistic, ambitious, unifying, elevating." But it adds a warning that Trump himself should pay attention to his own words. Honoring "the promises he made to start his presidency will require Trump to avoid getting trapped in divisiveness," the editors write. "We hope he can join the nation in uniting behind his inspiring vision."
• New York Times: The newspaper's editorial focuses on Trump's pardoning of those in the Capitol riot—his "opening act of contempt," as the headline puts it—which it says "makes a mockery" of the justice system. The president pardoned these people "not because they committed no crimes but because they committed their crimes in his name. In doing so, he invites such crimes to happen again."

(More President Trump stories.)