WASHINGTON: Thousands of Donald Trump’s supporters packed a Washington arena on Sunday to celebrate his victory, a day before the president-elect returns to power with plans to aggressively reshape US immigration and trade policy.
Throngs of fans danced to musician Kid Rock’s performance as they awaited Trump’s arrival at a “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” at Capital One Arena, an indoor hockey and basketball arena and the venue for some of Monday’s inauguration festivities after forecasts of bitter cold prompted officials to cancel the planned outdoor festivities.
The rally was likely to resemble the free-wheeling speeches that have been a Trump staple since his first White House campaign in 2016. The event marked his first major address in Washington since he delivered a speech on Jan. 6, 2021, to his supporters that preceded the storming of the US Capitol.
Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser, told the audience that Trump would issue an executive order on Monday “ending the border invasion, sending the illegals home and taking America back,” drawing cheers.
Ahead of the rally, his fans, many dressed in Trump’s trademark red jackets and MAGA hats, waited in a cold, driving rain along several downtown Washington blocks, some chanting “USA! USA!“
Val Tordjman, 58, had traveled across the country from Denver with tickets to watch the inauguration. When he heard the ceremony was being moved inside, notably cutting the size of the in-person audience, he said, “I felt like crying.”
Tordjman said he planned to spend the night on the street next to the arena, despite temperatures forecast to plunge to around 19 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 degrees Celsius). He said he had yet to see Trump in person.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said.
Large swaths of the streets around the US Capitol and White House have been blocked off by steel fences since last week, and police were visible throughout the city.
Trump’s rally, along with his inaugural address on Monday, could preview the tone he plans to adopt during his second White House term. In recent weeks, Trump has bewildered foreign allies by musing aloud about taking over Greenland and the Panama Canal and turning Canada into a US state.
Immigration will be a target of Trump’s first executive actions after taking office, along with energy issues and policies aimed at promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, his incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz told CBS.
“The American people gave him a clear mandate. Lock down our border, deport the worst of the worst, take on the cartels,” Waltz said in an interview with “Face the Nation.”
Trump had breakfast with Republican US senators at Blair House, the guest quarters across from the White House, on Sunday. John Cornyn, Susan Collins, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott and Tim Scott were among the attendees seen leaving the event.
He later placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington. Trump saluted the tomb as a military bugler played “Taps.”
MUSK FACTOR
The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, who has become a Trump confidant since spending more than $250 million on his campaign, is scheduled to speak at the event, along with Vice President-elect JD Vance, Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, conservative activist Charlie Kirk and conservative commentator Megyn Kelly.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew planned to attend the rally, hours after the company announced it was restoring its service thanks to Trump’s promise to delay a US ban that took effect on Sunday. Chew is also expected to join other tech executives at Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
Biden, meanwhile, made his last official trip as president on Sunday to Charleston, South Carolina, to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is also on Monday. He attended services and spoke about King’s legacy at Royal Missionary Baptist Church, while also urging despondent fellow Democrats not to give up hope.
The inauguration is scheduled for noon ET (1700 GMT) on Monday, when Trump will take the presidential oath of office inside the rotunda of the Capitol building, after the cold weather prompted organizers to move the ceremony indoors. Approximately 25,000 law enforcement personnel will be on hand to provide security.
