Donald Trump arrived in Washington on Saturday night to celebrate his return to power with family, supporters and political allies ahead of his second inauguration. The moment of triumph for the Republican came four years after he left the US capital amid scandal over an attack on the Capitol by his supporters.
As are reported foreign media, the celebration was held at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, located about 30 miles from Washington. During the event, Trump greeted the crowd, praising Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, whom he called a “great negotiator.” Witkoff last week helped broker a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which is due to take effect on Sunday.
After the speech, Trump appeared on the balcony of the club, where the gathered guests enjoyed fireworks and a performance by tenor Christopher Macchio. Meanwhile, organizers of the inauguration ceremony, scheduled for Monday, were changing the format of many events due to the predicted freezing temperatures. In particular, the ceremony of taking the oath of the president and vice president, which traditionally takes place on the steps of the Capitol, has been decided to be held indoors.
It will be the first time since Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985 that the ceremony has been moved indoors due to cold weather.
Donald Trump arrived in Washington aboard a C-32 military aircraft with his wife Melania and son Barron. The flight, named “Special Air Mission 47”, symbolized Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States. This gesture is a traditional courtesy from the current administration to the newly elected one. However, in 2021, Trump did not provide a presidential plane for Joe Biden, and he had to fly on a private charter.
A crowd of chanting supporters greeted Trump’s motorcade on the way to the golf club “Trump!” and “USA, USA!”.
Because of the freezing arctic air expected in the capital on Inauguration Day, Trump decided to hold most events indoors. In an interview with NBC News, he noted: “I think we made the right choice. Now we will be very comfortable.”
