Donald Trump took power as the 45th president of the United States on Friday -- ushering in a new political era that has been cheered and feared in equal measure. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in the center of Washington to celebrate a man whose short 19-month political career has defied all predictions, and many norms. Trump placed his hand on Abraham Lincoln`s bible, recited the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol and became the most powerful man on earth.