America on January 20, 2025

On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was the oldest president to ever be inaugurated, five months older than Joe Biden was in January 2021. Gasoline cost $3.10 per gallon.[i] Inflation was 3.0 percent.[ii] The unemployment rate was 4.0 percent.[iii] The border was closed. There were no street protests. America was not at war, and relationships with allies were strong.

[i]  “Petroleum & Other Liquids,” U.S. Energy Information Administration, accessed April 29, 2026, https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=emm_epmr_pte_nus_dpg&f=w.

[ii]       “12-month percentage change, Consumer Price Index, selected categories,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed April 29, 2026, https://www.bls.gov/charts/consumer-price-index/consumer-price-index-by-category-line-chart.htm.

[iii]      “United States Unemployment Rate,” Trading Economics, accessed April 29, 2026, https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate.