President Barack Obama is sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. in the Blue Room of the White House during the 57th Presidential Inauguration January 20, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski-Pool/Getty Images)
U.S President Barack Obama (L) takes the oath of office from U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (R) as first lady Michelle Obama (2nd L) holds the bible and daughter Malia (C) and Sasha looks on in the Blue Room of the White House January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Larry Downing-Pool/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama (L) takes the oath of office from U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (R) as first lady Michelle Obama (2nd L) holds the bible and daughter Malia (C) and Sasha looks on in the Blue Room of the White House January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Larry Downing-Pool/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama is officially sworn-in by Chief Justice John Roberts in the Blue Room of the White House during the 57th Presidential Inauguration January 20, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Standing with Obama are first lady Michelle Obama, holding the family bible, and daughters Malia and Sasha. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Charles Dharapak-Pool/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama is officially sworn-in by Chief Justice John Roberts in the Blue Room of the White House during the 57th Presidential Inauguration January 20, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Standing with Obama are first lady Michelle Obama, holding the family bible, and daughters Malia and Sasha. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Charles Dharapak-Pool/Getty Images)
U.S President Barack Obama (L) takes the oath of office as first lady Michelle Obama (C) holds the bible as daughter Malia looks on in the Blue Room of the White House January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Larry Downing-Pool/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama (L) takes the oath of office as first lady Michelle Obama holds the bible in the Blue Room of the White House January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama (L) takes the oath of office as first lady Michelle Obama holds the bible in the Blue Room of the White House January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Larry Downing-Pool/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama (L) takes the oath of office from U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (R) as first lady Michelle Obama (2nd L) holds the bible and daughter Malia (C) and Sasha looks on in the Blue Room of the White House January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Larry Downing-Pool/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama (L) hugs the first lady Michelle Obama after taking the oath of office in the Blue Room of the White House January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Larry Downing-Pool/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama hugs daughter Malia after being officially sworn-in as first lady Michelle Obama (C), daughter Sasha (2nd R) and Chief Justice John Robets Jr. watch in the Blue Room of the White House during the 57th Presidential Inauguration January 20, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski-Pool/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama (2nd L) hugs daughter Malia (2nd R) as first lady Michelle Obama (L) and daughter Sasha look on after taking the oath of office in the Blue Room of the White House January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Larry Downing-Pool/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama (L) shakes hands U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (2nd R) after takes the oath of office as first lady Michelle Obama (2nd L), daughter Malia (C) and Sasha (R) looks on in the Blue Room of the White House January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)
Vice President Joseph ‘Joe’ Biden, with his wife Jill Biden, center, holding the Biden family Bible, is sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, right, during an official ceremony at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. U.S. President Barack Obama is also set to take the oath of office later today surrounded by close friends and advisers in a small ceremony at the White House that will officially begin his second term in office Photographer: Josh Haner/Pool via Bloomberg
Vice President Joe Biden takes the oath of office during the 57th Presidential Inauguration official swearing-in ceremony at the Naval Observatory on Sunday, January 20, 2013 in Washington. The oath is administered by US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. (AP Photo/Saul Loeb, AFP)
Vice President Joe Biden takes the oath of office during the 57th Presidential Inauguration official swearing-in ceremony at the Naval Observatory on Sunday, January 20, 2013 in Washington. The oath is administered by US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as Dr. Jill Biden, right, looks on. (AP Photo/Saul Loeb, Pool)
Vice President Joe Biden (L) stands with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor after taking the oath of office during the official swearing-in ceremony at the Naval Observatory on January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Biden and U.S. President Barack Obama will be officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images)
Vice President Joe Biden (L) kisses a member of his family after taking the oath of office during the official swearing-in ceremony at the Naval Observatory on January 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Biden and U.S. President Barack Obama will be officially sworn in a day before the ceremonial inaugural swearing-in. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Stepping into his second term, President Barack Obama took the oath of office Sunday in an intimate swearing-in ceremony at the White House, the leader of a nation no longer in the throes of the recession he inherited four years ago but still deeply divided.
The president, surrounded by family in the ornate White House Blue Room, was administered the brief oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts. With Obama’s hand resting on a Bible used for years by Michelle Obama’s family, the president vowed “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” echoing the same words spoken by the 43 men who held the office before him.
About a dozen family members were on hand to witness Obama’s swearing in, including the first lady, daughters Malia and Sasha, the president’s sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and her family. Mrs. Obama’s mother Marian Robinson, and the first lady’s brother, Craig Robinson and his family. A few reporters also were in the room.
The president will repeat the swearing in ritual again Monday on the west front of the Capitol, before a jubilant crowd of up to 800,000 people.
Sunday’s smaller ceremony was a function of the calendar and the Constitution, which says presidents automatically begin their new terms at noon on Jan. 20. Because that date fell this year on a Sunday — a day on which inaugural ceremonies historically are not held — organizers scheduled a second, public swearing-in for Monday.
The mood in the nation’s capital was more subdued during this year’s inaugural festivities than it was four years ago, when Obama swept into office on a wave of national optimism, becoming the first black man to hold the nation’s highest office. Since then, he has endured fiscal fights with Congress and a bruising re-election campaign — and has the gray hair and lower approval ratings to show for it.
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