Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, calling for coalition as he undertook leadership of a nation battered by a once-in-a-century pandemic and the recent deadly storming of the US Capitol. At a midday ceremony concealed by health and security concerns, Mr. Biden was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, repeating the oath of office on the west steps of the Capitol with his hand on a family Bible. The Inauguration was managed by a relatively small, distanced audience, a contrast to the crowds that typically line the national Mail to celebrate a new administration.Declaring “democracy has prevailed” in the face of repeated challenges to the election results, Mr. Biden implored to the public to stand together in the face of division and crisis.Former President Donald Trump became the first president to skip his successor’s inauguration in 150 years, instead leaving Washington for his Florida estate early in the morning, vowing in his final public comments as president, “we will be back in some form.” After questioning the election results for months after his loss, Mr. Trump encouraged his supporters two weeks ago to march on the Capitol to stop Mr. Biden’s victory from being certified. The crowd that assembled at the Capitol breached the building, leaving a few people dead and heightening security concerns over the inauguration.