On the eve of the swearing-in ceremony, thousands of Trump supporters stood in line despite the freezing weather to attend a ‘Make America Great Again’ rally.
Donald J. Trump, 78, returns to the White House on Monday as the 47th US president after an inauguration ceremony set to take place in the US capital Washington, DC.
On the eve of the swearing-in ceremony, thousands of Trump supporters stood in line to get into the Capital One Arena, where Trump was to speak at a “Make America Great Again” victory rally.
The line stretched for at least six city blocks, disrupting traffic.
The tens of thousands of people had come to see Trump speak at the 20,000-seater Capital One Arena sports complex. Many expressed optimism for the country’s future, as Trump readies to assume the US presidency for the second time.
“He’s never caused a single war. He ended wars. So I think that’s a plus for anything, no? That’s my expectation. More fun and fewer wars,” said one participant.
For Sarah Davis, another participant, Donald Trump’s second term is about “returning to strength and getting stuff done.” She added, “And that’s something we haven’t seen in four years. And that’s something that we need with everything going on in the Middle East, in Eastern Europe, at the southern border; we need strength and stability, and that’s what we’re getting,” she said.
“Last time we had peace, prosperity and secure borders. Now we have inflation, war and not secure borders. So I think it’s pretty clear,” another attendee said.
Record-breaking inauguration ceremony
Trump’s inauguration ceremony has attracted people from all over the US and even from abroad. However, not everyone will be able to attend the event.
Due to expected record-low temperatures in Washington on 20 January, proceedings will take place in an indoor venue, the first time in 40 years that the inauguration will not take place outside on the square near the Capitol.
Trump also broke with tradition and invited state leaders to the celebrations. Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and even Chinese leader Xi Jinping were invited to the ceremony.
Out of the above, only Xi Jinping will not attend, but has instead sent his vice president, Han Zheng, in his place.
The ceremony will begin with a service at the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church on Lafayette Square.
This will be followed by a reception at the White House and musical performances on the West Lawn of the Capitol before the swearing-in of the new US president and vice president take place by noon.
Trump will be sworn in while holding two Bibles, the traditional one used by Abraham Lincoln during his inauguration in 1861 and another which his mother gave him back in 1955. After this, a grand presidential parade will take place on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Around 25,000 law enforcement and military personnel are expected to be deployed in the District of Columbia on inauguration day.
According to estimates in local reports, the 2025 Donald Trump inauguration is the most expensive in US history, costing about $170 million.
Additional sources • EBU
