"This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, both in person and around the globe," Spicer said, despite photos and video showing much fewer people assemble on the National Mall for Trump's inauguration than for Obama's in 2009.

Photos comparing the two inaugurations side-by-side on social media were "intentionally framed in a way to minimize support" for the new president, said Spicer. He did not take questions from reporters.

Both Trump and his spokesman have so far remained silent to the widespread anti-Trump protests held across the United States and parts of the world on Saturday.

Large turnouts were reported in Washington, Boston, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles in a powerful display of rejection of Trump's agenda, and of what the organizers said his insulting attitudes toward women. Similar marches were held in Paris, London, Sydney and some other major cities in the West.

More than 2.5 million Americans joined the protests across the country, reported TheHill news daily, which cited a review of official and unofficial estimates from US largest cities.

In New York, Bridget Mills, a 41-year-old protester, told Xinhua: "I hope it sends a message (to Trump) that we're listening, we are paying attention to if he cares morally about people's civil rights and America's standing in the world."

Elizabeth Moore, a protester from New Haven, Connecticut, said: "I am very, very concerned about the next four years. I think we have a lot of rights that are going to be trampled on under the Trump administration."

"His bigotry and his views toward women are extremely troubling to me," she added.