Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been inaugurated as president and vice-president, while Donald Trump, with as much bluster as he could muster, shuffled ignominiously off the political stage of the U.S. and, indeed, the world.

Good riddance, as far as I am concerned; a thought echoed my many, it seems.

The transition from unrivalled power to private citizen comes at the end of every presidency and must be difficult to contend with when reaching the end of the maximum two terms. But imagine how much harder it must be to be rejected after just one term.

Then add all we know about Trump. Losing the White House is a disaster he just can’t rationalise. He cannot accept it. But he gets no sympathy from me.

As a businessman, he had questionable ethics. As ‘star’ of the American version of The Apprentice television show, he was brash, over-inflated by his own misplaced ego and self-important. As a politician he showed plenty of shortcomings and has caused division and strife everywhere - among the people and the Republican party.

A man of little or no grace, he never conceded the election and told lies about supposed electoral fraud where none existed. He lied to and wound up his supporters, and ultimately incited a mob of them to storm the Capitol in an attempt to stop the Senate from certifying Biden’s victory.

And storm it they did, invading the building and the senate chamber itself, while politicians hid. Sadly, five people died as a result of this tragic attack on democracy. Five people did not go home to their families that night and never will again.

And, at the end of it all, Donald Trump lost.

He lost the election, he lost the argument alleging electoral fraud and he lost the numerous legal cases launched in his name. He lost in his efforts to persuade states to change their electoral college votes in his favour and he lost his attempt to get the state of Georgia to “find” enough votes for him to be named the winner.

That now infamous telephone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was itself an electoral offence. There was virtually nothing Trump would not do to cheat the election results.

Now, in a historic first, he has been impeached for a second time and faces a trial in the Senate. This time, the Republicans don’t have the upper hand, as the seats are divided equally.

As he has already left the White House, Trump cannot be forced from office, but he can be prevented from holding public federal office ever again. A worthy cause.

Of course, the 50- 50 split in the Senate was only confirmed after the Georgia run-off election held on 5 January, when Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock unseated the incumbent Republicans.

Those dramatic victories in the historically Republican state are crucial to Biden’s programme because most of it will need the support of both houses of Congress.

Should be an interesting time, as both sides undoubtedly seek to get all of their senators there for every single vote. Chuck Schumer, the new majority leader, will have his work cut out for him.

So, we are all heading into a new presidential era, with a radical change of policy, vastly different personalities and a change in the political landscape.

With President Joe Biden firmly in charge, we await Donald Trump’s one and (hopefully) only encore, as star of his own Senate impeachment trial.