WASHINGTON (AP) – United States (US) President-elect Donald Trump returned to Washington on Saturday evening to celebrate with family, supporters and political allies ahead of his second inauguration, a triumphant return for the Republican four years after he departed the city under the shadow of an attack by his supporters on the Capitol.
Trump marked his return to power with a celebration at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles outside Washington.
He addressed the crowd, giving shoutouts to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and declaring his Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff a “great negotiator”.
Witkoff this past week helped negotiate a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that took affect yesterday.
Soon after his remarks, Trump stepped out onto a clubhouse balcony while guests gathered on the patio below him for a fireworks display and performance by tenor Christopher Macchio.
Trump returned to Washington as organisers of today’s Inauguration Day ceremony were scrambling to move inside most of the outdoor events, including the swearing-in of president and vice president that traditionally takes place on the steps of the US Capitol, due to forecasted frigid temperatures.
It will be the first time since President Ronald Reagan took the oath of office in 1985 for his second term that the ceremony will be moved inside the US Capitol.
Trump made his way from West Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife Melania Trump and their son Barron aboard a US military C-32 aircraft on a flight dubbed Special Air Mission 47 – a nod to Trump becoming the 47th president today.
It’s a courtesy that’s traditionally been extended by the outgoing administration to the incoming one. Trump did not make a government plane available to US President Joe Biden ahead of his inauguration in 2021, and instead the Democrat flew to Washington on a privately chartered aircraft.
As his motorcade neared his golf club for Saturday’s celebration, he was greeted by dozens of well-wishers who gathered along the roadside and chanted “Trump” and “USA, USA!”
With a blast of Arctic air expected to leave the nation’s capital facing frigid temperatures on Inauguration Day, Trump opted to move inside most of today’s outdoor events, including the swearing-in ceremony.
