RICHMOND, Va. -- In a deeply divided America, amidst a global pandemic, CBS 6 Political Analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth said President Joe Biden already had his work cut out for him on day one in office.
"They had a memorial last night to talk about the 400,000 Americans that have now died from the coronavirus, something almost unimaginable to us a couple of years ago," said Dr. Bob. "And Biden is now going to own the response to the coronavirus."
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn into office Wednesday, amidst high security and an empty mall. President Trump was not in attendance.
"We've never quite seen a situation where a president hasn't even acknowledged the result of the election to be anything but fraud," said Dr. Bob.
Dr. Bob said President Biden’s task Wednesday was to set the tone for his administration, and work to enlist the American public in his priorities. But he added uniting the nation may not be an easy task amidst vast polarization.
"What's happened is that more and more people now get their information from sources that, in many ways, just confirm with what their predispositions are. And so it's become much more difficult, I think, to overcome this polarization," aid Dr. Bob. "The way that Joe Biden can do it, is simply by effective policies."
Those policies, according to Dr. Bob need to effectively address the coronavirus, the economy, and racial equity.
He expects starting today and in the coming weeks, Americans will see significant changes in those policies and others under the Biden administration.
"Now, whether those changes help to unify the country or further divide it, I don't know exactly what the impact will be," said Dr. Bob. "But certainly, there's going to be a very, you know, if it's not 180 degrees, I'd say a 178 degree, different approach between Joe Biden and Donald Trump."
