Washington Donald Trump returned to rally mode just hours after taking the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States.
Trump’s supporters were unable to gather on the National Mall for the swearing-in ceremony because of the extremely cold weather, which forced it inside to the Capitol rotunda. Instead, many flocked to downtown’s Capital One Arena to honor the man who many in this community had spent years attempting to retake the White House.
The audience began screaming “USA” as Trump made his way to the platform, where his family members were seated, at approximately 5:30 p.m.
It served as the prelude to the inaugural procession, which was initially supposed to take place outside. The crowd enthusiastically supported it as it lapped around the stage, heavily populated by marching bands and law enforcement units.
When Trump took the stage following the parade, he declared, “You are witnessing the dawn of the golden age of America.”
As part of a long-awaited peace agreement, Trump began his speech by discussing the release of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas. He then informed the audience that he would be issuing pardons for a number of those detained in relation to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He called the accused from January 6 “hostages,” while some Israeli hostages and their families stood behind him on stage.
When Trump said that President Joe Biden granted preemptive pardons for members of his family as he was leaving office, the audience erupted in jeering.
Following his speech, Trump signed a series of executive measures he said would reverse extreme Biden-era initiatives at a wooden desk emblazoned with the US president’s seal. Trump had long promised broad executive action on immigration, economic, and energy policy concerns on the first day of his presidency.
On stage, Trump signed nine documents in all, each time displaying his signature to the audience. Revocation of 78 executive actions from the Biden administration, halting federal hiring, forcing federal employees to return to work, pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, directing federal agencies to investigate reducing living expenses, and putting an end to “the weaponization of government against political enemies” were among them.
Do you think Biden would do this? Trump stated as he signed the orders. “I don t think so.”
The pens were then tossed into the crowd by him.
The wait times to enter the event were several blocks long. Even though the location is far smaller than the National Mall, some of the most ardent Trump fans queued overnight in temperatures in the single digits to enter.
Trump’s swearing-in address was aired live on the jumbotron, and the arena was opened for public viewing.
Trump had used the venue for a pre-inauguration rally the day before, and when it reached full, many people were turned away.
Janeen Coyle, who drove eight hours from Cincinnati, said, “We had tickets to the inauguration and were disappointed like everyone else. It was hard waiting in line.” However, this is a momentous occasion. Being here was crucial since he is the first nonconsecutive president since Grover Cleveland.
Whether you like him or not, he is a historic person, she remarked.
Trump supporters swarmed Washington in the days preceding his inauguration, as evidenced by the presence of Trump supporters in the city’s pubs, eateries, and coffee shops donning his signature red “Make America Great Again” caps. Trump-related music boomed from MAGA-emblazoned cars that pulled up on street corners for spontaneous picture ops with Trump supporters, and booths selling Trump memorabilia appeared in the streets around the Capitol.
Trump and his MAGA followers greeted the nation’s capital differently than they did in 2017. Although many Washingtonians still left town before the inauguration, Trump’s victory this time has been more widely accepted.
Following an election victory that stunned and startled a large portion of the country’s political elite, the 2017 inauguration was accompanied by more extensive protests.
Trump was the political establishment this time.
Lisa Wood, who drove with Coyle from Cincinnati for the inauguration, said the entire city seemed quite thrilled. That was not what I had anticipated.
The atmosphere in the arena was incredibly joyous. However, the party animosity from the arduous 2024 campaign persisted.
When Democrats, including outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama, and the Clintons, were shown on the large screen approaching the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony, loud jeers erupted from the crowd.
When Mike Pence, Trump’s former vice president, appeared on television, he was also greeted with loud jeers. After Jan. 6, 2021, Pence quickly fell out with Trump and many of his supporters, who thought he might have prevented Joe Biden from winning the 2020 election.
The crowd responded loudly to the ceremonial inauguration festivities, which were broadcast on the arena’s overhead jumbotron. The greatest cheers came as Trump concluded the oath of office at 12:02 p.m. and during a speech outlining his extensive Day 1 executive actions.
Shortly after Trump was sworn in, a person who appeared to have voiced anti-Trump sentiments in the crowd was ejected as the audience screamed, “Kick her out!”
As the person left, several of the audience sang the 1969 No. 1 pop hit, Kiss Him Goodbye. As the large screen displayed Biden leaving Trump’s inauguration to board a helicopter and depart Washington, the song was sung once more.
Those who had attended the thousands of Trump rallies throughout the 2024 presidential campaign would recognize the huge list of MAGA-world superstars on the speaker program.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, Florida Representative Byron Donalds, who is thinking about running for governor, Charlie Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA, who was instrumental in coordinating the political ground game for the Trump campaign, and billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk were among those who took the stage.
Dan Scavino, a top Trump campaign official, recalled the first Trump assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, during his address.
Scavino remarked, “It is a moment I will never forget,” “We were in the hospital, he had blood coming down his ear, and he wanted to know how his staff was.”
“The guy just got shot in the damn head, and he’s worried about us,” he said.
“Fight, fight, fight,” which Trump himself yelled shortly after being shot, was the response from the crowd.