Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the US President later today.
He’s insisted “there’s always light” ahead of the event which will see him sworn in as the 46th US President.
He quoted Irish poet James Joyce and became emotional as he left Delaware, admitting these are “dark times”.
There’s a huge security presence in Washington DC for the scaled-back swearing-in ceremony, after rioters stormed the Capitol earlier this month.
In a farewell speech, Donald Trump condemned the violence, and also praised his supporters for standing up for America.
Paul Allen is from the Irish for Biden Campaign, he admits the new US President has a tough task ahead of him.
Pardons
It’s believed Donald Trump’s granted clemency to the rapper Lil Wayne who was found guilty of having a loaded handgun on a plane.
The US president’s expected to issue more than 100 pardons before he officially leaves the White House this afternoon.
The Reuters news agency also says he’ll issue one to former aide Steve Bannon who was charged with defrauding investors over the US-Mexico border wall.
Meanwhile, the star of Netflix’s Tiger King is hoping he could be given a pardon from the outgoing US President in his final hours in the White House.
Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic, is serving a 22-year prison sentence for playing a part in a murder-for-hire plot.
He’s formally asked Donald Trump to set him free.
Dr Eric Derr
Dr Eric Derr is a Carlow College lecturer who was a member of the Republican Party in America before defecting to the Democrats and campaigning for Biden in 2008.
He’s told KCLR he delighted to see him finally getting to the White House.
Listen to Dr Derr’s conversation with our Sue Nunn on The Way It Is here:
