Donald Trump was helped through a swearing-in ceremony after a simple cue was included in his prepared remarks.
Trump, 79, was joined in the Oval Office by a few senators and other administration officials for the swearing-in of Sergio Gor as ambassador to India. The former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, Gor, 38, had been confirmed by the Senate last month.
“I think he’s going to be an outstanding representative for the United States of America, and it’s a big deal. Being the ambassador to India is a big deal. So Sergio, congratulations, and I know you’re going to do a fantastic job,” Trump said, after flipping to the last page of his prepared remarks.
Visible at the end was the prompt “[OATH].” Trump did not read it.
After Trump gave the go-ahead, Gor placed his hand on a “signature edition” Trump Bible the president had signed, and Vice President JD Vance, 41, swore him in. Trump sells an almost identical Bible on the “GodBlessTheUSA Bible” site for $1,000, but instead of being signed on the front, as it appears in the Oval Office, it is signed inside.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast about the written prompt or the choice of Bible.
Before the swearing-in ceremony, Trump was in the Oval Office defending his idea that sending “low and middle income” citizens a $2,000 check and then using the remaining money to “substantially pay down national debt” would work.
“We’re going to be lowering our debt, which is a national security thing,” he claimed.
Yet experts immediately pointed out that there would be no leftover revenue if the 150 million people who make less than $100,000 were given $2,000 checks. Doing so would cost $300 billion, while Trump’s tariffs are projected to bring in $217 billion per year.
Trump claimed Monday that “the numbers were reported so incorrectly,” because, as he saw it, “the real numbers are trillions of dollars have been taken in or gotten in terms of investment from the tariffs.”
