President Biden had exited his Cadillac with the new "46" license plates and was strolling a short stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue toward his new home when he spotted "Today" show weather legend Al Roker.

The big picture: Biden dropped Jill Biden's hand — no warning — and trotted over to the delighted Roker. POTUS gave Roker a fist bump and said, "Gotta keep doing this!" It was a very Joe moment in a day that was designed to signal a return to normality in a turbulent America.

• "Politics need not be a raging fire destroying everything in its path," Biden said in his inaugural address. "Every disagreement doesn’t have to be a cause for total war."

Biden reminded the mob that stormed the Capitol that they failed to stop democracy.

• "It will never happen. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Not ever."

Between the lines: Neither Biden nor President Trump mentioned the other by name on Wednesday, but Biden didn't need to name names to get the point of this passage across:

Biden did name some American sins, including racism, nativism, fear and demonization.

• "The battle is perennial and victory is never assured."

But he also pointed at America's promise.

• "Today we mark the swearing-in of the first woman in American history elected to national office: Vice President Kamala Harris. Don't tell me things can't change."

Go deeper: The inauguration in photos