Just before noon On jan. 20, Joseph Robinette Biden jr. put his hand on a bible and vowed to uphold the Constitution as the 46th President of the United States. It was a first step toward restoring a semblance of normalcy to a shaken democracy. His predecessor, after two months of trying to stay in power by overturning the people’s will, told the American people to “have a good life” before skipping the ceremony.