President-elect Donald Trump arrived in Washington Saturday to kick off days of pageantry heralding his second inauguration as president, four years after he departed the city under the shadow of an attack by his supporters on the Capitol.
His plane landed at Dulles Airport in the evening before he headed to Trump Sterling Golf Club for planned evening celebrations and fireworks. Trump got off the plane around 7:20 p.m., he did not take questions, reporters said, but stopped briefly to wave at the press and pumped his fist twice in the air.
Earlier, Trump, Melania and their son Barron boarded the plane at 5:13 p.m. Eastern Time and departed Palm Beach International Airport, Florida, near Mar-a-Lago, where his team has spent his transition since he won the election. The three of them turned around at the top of the stairs, and Trump waved before heading inside the plane.
President-elect Trump and family board plane to Washington, D.C. as inauguration celebrations begin. Getty Images
The ritualistic changing of power will get underway as Washington’s solemn pomp is paired with Trump’s brand of party: a fireworks showcase at one of his luxury golf properties, guests including tech industry titans, friends from the business world and conservative media stars, and thousands of his supporters streaming in from around the country.
With a blast of Arctic air expected to leave the nation’s capital facing frigid temperatures on Inauguration Day organizers were also scrambling to move inside most of Monday’s outdoor events, including the swearing-in ceremony.
“There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way…Therefore, I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather.”
Country music stars Carrie Underwood, Billy Ray Cyrus and Jason Aldean, disco band the Village People, rapper Nelly and musician Kid Rock are all scheduled to perform at inauguration-related ceremonies and events. Actor Jon Voight and wrestler Hulk Hogan are also expected to make appearances, as are a crew of Trump-embracing business executives: Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
The only public event on Trump’s schedule is an evening reception and fireworks show at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, outside the city.
While Trump holds court at his club, Vice President-elect JD Vance will attend a reception for Cabinet members and host a dinner in Washington.
On Sunday, the eve of his inauguration, Trump is scheduled to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery before heading to a rally at Capital One Arena in Washington. The rally will be followed by a private dinner.
On Inauguration Day, Trump will start with the traditional prayer service at St. John’s Episcopal Church before heading to the White House for a customary tea with the outgoing president and first lady.
Trump then heads to the Capitol, where his ceremony has been moved indoors as temperatures are set to plummet and make it the coldest Inauguration Day in 40 years. It’s not quite clear how the ceremony will be adapted to the Capitol Rotunda, which holds only 600 people. More than 250,000 guests were ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds.
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which is responsible for planning the event, said in a statement that “the vast majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person.”
Eight years ago, Trump’s critics were wrestling with whether to attend his inauguration, contemplating whether to buck long-standing practice and send a signal to the divisive new president. This year, much outspoken resistance to Trump has faded away, though there will be two notable absences: former first lady Michelle Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Neither gave an explanation as to why she was skipping the ceremony.
After Trump takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address, there will be a ceremonial farewell to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. As the new Republican government takes power, Trump will head to a signing ceremony at the Capitol to approve some of his first official acts, followed by a congressional luncheon and review of U.S. troops.
The planned traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue has morphed into an indoor event because of the cold, with Trump again planning to speak to his gathered supporters before he heads to the White House for a signing ceremony in the Oval Office. A trio of glitzy balls will follow in the evening, punctuated by musical performances.
Trump’s arrival in Washington will once again be accompanied by protests and vigils on issues such as abortion, immigration rights and, this time, the Israel-Hamas war, but the feel and the force of those demonstrations were different from the outset of his first term.
The Women’s March, spurred by women outraged over Trump’s win in 2017, drew more than 500,000 people to Washington and millions more in cities around the country, marking one of the largest single-day demonstrations in U.S. history.
The march returned Saturday, rebranded as the People’s March, with organizers saying their focus will be less on Trump and more on broader goals around women’s and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, immigration, climate and democracy. It drew far fewer than eight years ago.
Kathryn Watson and Fin Gómez contributed to this report.
