WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump spoke at a rally on Sunday, the eve of Inauguration Day, at the Capitol One Arena in downtown Washington.
At the “Make America Great Again” victory rally, Trump offered a preview of the actions he would take upon being sworn in on Jan. 20 as the 47th president of the United States.
“We won,” Trump said, before beginning his speech.
“Tomorrow at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of American decline, and we begin a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity, and pride,” he told his supporters.
“This is the greatest political movement in American history.”
During his hourlong speech, Trump stated that he would issue a series of executive orders, including the “most aggressive sweeping effort” to secure the border.
“We'll begin the largest deportation operation in American history,” he said, adding that it would be larger than President Dwight Eisenhower’s record.
“By the time the sun sets tomorrow evening, the invasion of our borders will have come to a halt.”
He also said that with these actions, “my administration will deliver justice for every family whose loved one has been stolen from them by migrant crime,” naming victims who were killed by illegal immigrants.
“And tomorrow, everybody in this very large arena will be very happy with my decision on the J6 hostages,” Trump said without providing the details of his plan for people convicted for their roles in the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump also outlined his plan for social media app TikTok.
The president-elect earlier said he would sign an executive order postponing the federal ban on the app. In response, TikTok earlier announced that it had restored access in the United States.
“As of today, TikTok is back,” Trump announced at the rally.
He proposed that the new ownership be transferred to a joint venture, with the United States holding 50 percent of the business.
In keeping with his campaign promise, Trump also stated that in the coming days, his administration will release the remaining records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Both Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn in on Monday. The 60th Presidential Inauguration ceremony will take place inside the Capitol Rotunda because of a frigid forecast, with temperatures expected to drop to 10 degrees.
What normally would have been a quiet Sunday in downtown Washington was a bustling day, with Trump supporters from across the country in the capital to join four days of celebrations. Despite the rainy, sometimes snowy weather—with temperatures hovering just above freezing—many began lining up early in the morning, eager to get into the rally site, Capitol One Arena, home of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards.
The rally coincided with a busy news day, including reports from Gaza where the first three hostages were released as part of the first phase of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group.
During his speech, Trump called his Middle East special envoy, Steve Witkoff, a “great negotiator.”
“Our incoming administration has achieved all of this in the Middle East in less than three months without being president,” Trump said.
Speaking at the rally, Witkoff said Trump’s involvement in the Gaza peace and hostage deal was crucial.
“President was responsible for this release, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude as to all the families,” he told the crowd.
Trump also highlighted his new initiative, the nongovernmental advisory body Department of Government Efficiency, and invited tech billionaire Elon Musk, one of the leaders of the initiative, to the stage.
Musk briefly joined the president-elect with his 4-year-old son, X.
“We’re looking forward to making a lot of changes,” Musk said. “This victory is the start.”
Trump thanked Musk for his help during the presidential campaign, especially his work in securing a victory in the swing state of Pennsylvania.
The incoming president also announced that he would travel to California on Friday to assess the damage recently done to the Los Angeles area by a number of wildfires.
“Together, we will rebuild Los Angeles, better, more beautiful than ever before,” he said.
Sunday’s rally featured performances by Kid Rock, Lee Greenwood, and The Village People.
Trump also pledged to repeal President Joe Biden’s executive orders “within hours” of taking office on Monday, focusing particularly on his initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“Oh, you’re going to have a lot of fun watching television tomorrow,” he told his supporters.
Speakers at the rally included members of the Trump family, Girls Gone Bible, actor Jon Voight, Trump’s designated Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller, independent journalist Megyn Kelly, and UFC President and CEO Dana White.
Trump’s son Eric Trump, along with his wife Lara Trump, and two children, took the stage as well. One of the highlights of the event was when the two children recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Dozens of inaugural balls were scheduled throughout the nation’s capital over the weekend. One such event, the Official Hispanic Inaugural Ball, was held on Saturday at the Omni Shoreham Hotel and featured guests including President Javier Milei of Argentina, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), and Donald Trump Jr.
Evelyn Nunez Jones, from Orange County, California, is one of the fundraisers for the Inaugural Committee and an organizer of the Hispanic Inaugural Ball.
“I feel relief and gratitude knowing that we’re entering a new era,” Jones told The Epoch Times before the rally.
She believes parental rights played a key role in Trump’s election.
“The Hispanic community is very much for family and parental rights have really pushed people to change parties,” she said, noting the increasing support for Trump among Hispanics.
Trump’s rally has drawn not only supporters from across the country but also from abroad. One notable guest was Suella Braverman, a conservative member of the UK Parliament and former home secretary.
“This is a pivotal moment for not just American history, but for the West and indeed, the world,” Braverman told The Epoch Times.
“I’m very grateful for Trump’s program here in America that supports strong borders, its pro-business, pro-jobs, pro-prosperity policies, and a return to common sense,” she said. “Things we need a lot of in the United Kingdom.”
