Donald Trump is returning to Washington to kick off days of pageantry to herald his second inauguration as president.
Donald Trump is set to return to Washington this Saturday to begin the celebrations for his second inauguration as President. This comes four years after he left the city following a violent attack on the Capitol by his supporters.
The transition of power will commence with a mix of Washington’s traditional formalities and Trump’s signature style of celebration. The festivities will include a fireworks display at one of his luxury golf resorts, with guests ranging from tech industry leaders and business associates to conservative media personalities and a large turnout of supporters from across the nation.
Due to an impending Arctic chill bringing cold temperatures to the capital on the day of the inauguration, organizers are making last-minute adjustments to move most of Monday’s outdoor events indoors, including the swearing-in ceremony.
Trump, a Republican, left office in 2021 as a political pariah after his refusal to accept his loss led a mob to overrun the U.S. Capitol. He then broke tradition by skipping Democrat Joe Biden’s inauguration as his successor.
In a stark contrast with Trump, Biden will adhere to one of the most potent symbols of the democratic handover, welcoming Trump to the White House and joining him on the ride to the Capitol before he takes the oath of office.
The first time Trump was sworn into office eight years ago, the former reality TV star billionaire came in as an outsider disrupting Washington’s norms, delivering a dark inaugural address as his swearing-in drew large protests and some clashes in the street.
This time, the protests are expected to be far less noticeable, eclipsed by the ceremonies and celebrations around Trump’s taking power. As one more marker of Trump’s remarkable comeback, the events surrounding his inauguration will be more celebrity-studded than the last time, along with a noticeable turnout by a cadre of tech-world billionaires.
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 pageantry begins Saturday, when the president-elect leaves his Florida home to head to Washington. Trump’s advisers have not detailed how he will spend the first part of the day, and 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.
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 are expected to be 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 is returning 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 is expected to draw about 50,000 people, far fewer than eight years ago.
