First, Mr. Trump's Inaugural address  

It was a militant speech.

About 16 minutes long, very political.

That is somewhat of a departure, as many new presidents are diplomatic at the Inauguration.

Not Donald Trump.

He did compliment President Obama for being cooperative in the transition, calling him "magnificent."

But then he hammered Mr. Obama's policies.

TRUMP: “Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.  This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.”

So with Mr. and Mrs. Obama sitting just a few feet away, Mr. Trump basically said that the last eight years have been a catastrophe for America.

And it wasn't an anti-Democratic screed.  Mr. Trump criticized both parties.

TRUMP: “We've defended other nations' borders while refusing to defend our own. (APPLAUSE) And spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We've made other countries rich, while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon.”

The reference to trillions of dollars spent overseas of course encompasses the Iraq and Afghan wars, which were begun by President Bush the younger.

Also, George W. Bush was seated just a few feet away from President Trump.

So it is clear that Donald Trump has no sensitivity to the politics of the past, no matter who was in office.

His message was directed to his supporters, to the folks who are fed up with a political process they believe is not helping them.

It was fascinating to watch as President Trump pretty much dismantled the entire Washington establishment in 16 minutes.

It was more like a campaign speech than a presidential address marking the beginning of a new administration.

Now whether Mr. Trump's speech was good or bad is pretty much up to you.

It doesn't really matter what pundits say.  He was speaking directly to the American people, telling them there is a new power structure in place.

One that is going to break down the entrenched political process.

Whether Donald Trump can accomplish that is impossible to predict.

He does have to work through Congress, and he does have to convince powerful people all over the world to cooperate with him.

No president can institute vast change alone.

By the end of his speech, which was clearly meant to send a message, Donald Trump laid it all on the line.

TRUMP: “From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.  From this day forward, it's going to be only America first, America first. (APPLAUSE)”

So there you have it.  Again, it is up to you, the American citizen, to evaluate the effectiveness of Mr. Trump's speech.

Some other quick impressions of this historical day.

The first time the camera found Hillary Clinton, she looked absolutely miserable and you can understand it.  She thought she had the presidency locked up.

When the camera first found Donald Trump, he looked a little tense and again, that is understandable.  This was the biggest public moment of his life.

As usual, President Obama looked relaxed.  He is an accomplished political actor, rarely showing what he's thinking and acting appropriately in public.

After the big show, Mr. and Mrs. Obama flew off to Palm Springs, California for a vacation, and Talking Points does not expect to hear much from the former president … at least for a while.

One of the most touching moments was when First Lady Melania Trump straightened her son's tie.

I can tell you from personal knowledge that Mrs. Trump is an excellent mother who will not move to Washington immediately so the ten-year-old Barron can continue his schooling in New York City.

Finally, the 92-year-old former President Jimmy Carter.

He did not have to come to this Inauguration.  Everyone would understand if he stayed back in Georgia.

But Mr. Carter is a patriot and stood in the damp cold to watch America's peaceful transition of power.

Whether you like Jimmy Carter or not, you should respect this man because he is a good man.

And that's the memo.