Supporters of US President-elect Donald Trump gathered outside Capital One Arena for a rally the day before he is scheduled to be inaugurated for a second term in Washington, DC on January 19, 2025.
Daniel Cole | Reuters
Thousands Donald Trump’s Supporters waited for hours in the cold and rain to attend a victory rally on Sunday, a day before the president-elect returns to power with plans to aggressively reshape U.S. immigration and trade policy.
The 78-year-old Republican first laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Sunday before delivering his first major speech in Washington since rallying with supporters before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump saluted the grave as a bugler played “Taps.”
The “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” was scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. ET (2000 GMT) at Capital One Arena, an indoor hockey and basketball arena that served as part of Monday’s inauguration festivities. venue, but officials canceled the rally’s planned outdoor festivities in anticipation of severe cold weather
The line of supporters stretched across several blocks of downtown Washington, many wearing Trump’s signature red jackets and hats. Some chanted “USA! USA!” others spoke through loudspeakers as they waited to be allowed in.
Val Tordjman, 58, traveled across the country from Denver with tickets to watch the inauguration. When he heard it was moving indoors, he said, “I wanted to cry.”
Todjman said he planned to spend the night on the street next to the stadium, despite temperatures expected to drop to around 19 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 degrees Celsius). He said he has yet to meet Trump in person.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.
Large areas around the U.S. Capitol and White House have been cordoned off with steel fences since last week, and police presence has been increased throughout the area.
Trump’s rallies and his inaugural address on Monday could be a preview of the tone he plans to take during his second term in the White House. In recent weeks, Trump has loudly considered taking over Greenland and the Panama Canal and turning Canada into a U.S. state, confusing foreign allies.
Incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz told CBS that immigration will be a target of Trump’s first executive action in office, along with energy issues and efforts to promote diversity, equity and Inclusive policies.
“The American people gave him a clear mandate. To seal our borders, to deport the worst people, to fight the drug cartels,” Walz said in an interview on “Face the Nation.”
Trump’s agenda is likely to be a topic of conversation during a breakfast with Republican U.S. senators at Blair House, his guest residence across from the White House. On Sunday, attendees including Senate Republican Leader John Cornyn, Sens. Susan Collins, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott and Tim Scott left the event.
The rally is likely to be similar to Trump’s freewheeling stage speeches since he first ran for the White House in 2016.
musk factor
The world’s richest man, MuskHe has become a close confidant of Trump since spending more than $250 million on the campaign, and he plans to speak at the event alongside the vice president-elect JD VanceUltimate Fighting Championship executive Dana White, conservative activist Charlie Kirk and conservative commentator Megyn Kelly.
Trump said he would restore access to the app in the United States after taking office on Monday, hours after TikTok executive Shou Zi Chew planned to attend rallies. Tik Tok Start restoring service The news to U.S. users on Sunday came after Trump said he would sign an executive order on Monday after taking office to delay a federal ban on the app. Zhou is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday along with other top tech executives.
Singer and rapper Kid Rock, disco group The Village People, singer Billy Ray Cyrus and singer Lee Greenwood are all scheduled to perform at the rally.
Meanwhile, the White House said Biden made his final official trip as president on Sunday to Charleston, South Carolina, to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which also falls on Monday. He will attend the ceremony at Royal Missionary Baptist Church and speak about King’s legacy.
The inauguration is scheduled for noon ET (1700 GMT) on Monday, when Trump will be sworn in in the Capitol Rotunda, after cold weather prompted organizers to move the ceremony indoors. Approximately 25,000 law enforcement officers will be on hand to provide security.
