Donald Trump is to be sworn in today 20th of January 2025 as the 47th US President. It is expected to be one of the coldest on record, the freezing weather forcing the inauguration to be moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda. Leaving thousands of people who had hoped to watch the ceremony along the National Mall disappointed.
At the pre-inauguration rally on the eve of his return to the White House, President-elect Donald Trump addressed a crowd of thousands in a Washington, D.C. arena. He provided a preview of the next four years and celebrated his victory over Joe Biden in the November election. Telling supporters that he would move with “historic speed and strength” in the hours after taking the oath of office. He assured he would use his presidential powers to launch mass deportation operations, slash environmental regulations and end diversity programs.
The rally began with a performance by Kid Rock and included speeches from television personality Megyn Kelly, actor Jon Voight, and Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller. Elon Musk also delivered a brief speech following Trump’s announcement about the creation of Doge, an advisory agency that Musk will lead alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who previously made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
The Republican promised to sign a lot of executive orders, more than 200 on his first day in office as the president, vowing to reshape American institutions. Some of the executive orders would be legally binding, and others presidential directives like proclamations, which are usually not. The orders would focus on several key areas including:
- Border Security: Declaring a national border emergency, directing the US military and Department of Homeland Security to secure the southern border, and making it a national priority to dismantle criminal cartels operating in the US ¹.
- Energy Production: Invoking emergency powers to unleash domestic energy production and reversing President Joe Biden’s actions to combat climate change ².
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Terminating all DEI programs within the federal government ¹.
- National Identity: Establishing a clear biological sex definition and renaming historical places, such as the “Gulf of America” ¹.
- Law Enforcement: Designating criminal cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, unlocking new authorities to bolster homeland security
These executive orders aim to reshape American governance and prioritize issues like border security, energy production, and national identity.
“Every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration will be repealed within hours of when I take the oath of office,” the incoming president said.
The temperature is expected to be around -6°C (22°F) at noon local time when the swearing-in ceremony takes place. Supporters are encouraged to watch the event from the Capital One Arena, which will also feature a version of the traditional outdoor parade. Trump has stated that he will “join the crowd” there after taking the oath of office and delivering his inaugural address. The themes of his speech will reportedly focus on unity, strength, and “fairness.”
Franklin Graham – the son of famous evangelist Billy Graham – will give the invocation during Monday’s inauguration ceremony.
“I think President Trump is a much different man than he was in 2017,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Sunday programme. “I think God has strengthened him and he’s come through this a much stronger man and he’s going to be a much better president for all these hardships he’s gone through.