The day of the inauguration, we saw many sides of the new 47th president.

He didn’t hold back in chastising the previous administration for their destructive policies and for their lack of wise decision-making—right to their faces.

Although his voice was moderated, his anger and disappointment were both apparent. Many media outlets have gone out of their way to disparage his comments and his criticisms.

But in spite of the harshness of some of his words, he showed us a caring and compassionate side, too.

He took the time at both his inauguration address, and even while he was signing Executive Orders at the Capitol One Arena and at the Oval Office, to show us an approachable and open-minded side that we rarely see.

It was delightful and encouraging to see his calm demeanor, his sincerity and his candor. Some of his comments were thoughtful; some were amusing; still others were old beefs stated in quieter tones.

What were some of the things he said?

The first comments that come to mind were regarding the first lady.

He commented on how she almost blew away with the hat she was wearing.

But the funniest comment was when he said, noting he was going to get in trouble for saying it, that Melania’s feet were killing her.

And the directors of the inauguration process kept adding more destinations (and steps) for her to take.

But President Trump wanted everyone to know that she was prepared to tough it out. (Melania smiled at him and shook her head.) The people listening laughed.

Later he went to the Capitol One Arena and signed additional Executive Orders. When he finished, he also talked about the hostages in Israel, Americans and Israelis, acknowledging that some had already died, and he invited the families up to the stage:

"To the former hostages with us today, welcome, welcome home," Trump said.

"The three young ladies that came home yesterday, you saw that; more are coming home every day now…. They were hurt… One had fingers of her hand… blown off; she was trying to defend herself from a bullet being fired, you believe that? … It’s a disgrace," he went on.

"We never stopped praying for you, and we’re so glad that you’re reunited with your friends and families," Trump said.

He shook hands with the families, some of them before he gave his speech, and the rest of them immediately afterward. Many of them were speaking to him, and he listened patiently, as they likely expressed their gratitude for his actions regarding the hostages.

After signing some Executive Orders in the Capitol One Arena, he went to the Oval Office. He seemed relaxed and engaged in almost a casual conversation with reporters as he signed more Executive Orders.

Some sources described Trump’s tone as lighter than 2017:

Eight years ago, Donald Trump took office with a dark message about ‘American carnage’ — a nation ravaged by crime, poverty and drugs. As he returns to the White House on Monday, his team is stressing ‘unity’ and ‘light.’

[snip]

‘Light signifies hope, it signifies a new beginning, it signifies a pathway forward. It's really something that has been a theme for the inaugural, yes, but also a guiding principle for our team over the past couple months,’ a person familiar with Trump's inauguration plans told Axios.

If more new MAGA citizens have the opportunity to see this other side of President Trump, he may be able to bring them along more easily for his challenging agenda ahead.

Image: Screen shot from Forbes Breaking News video, via YouTube