President-elect Donald Trump arrived in Washington on Saturday evening to celebrate with family, supporters and political allies ahead of his second inauguration.
Mr Trump was hosting a celebration and a fireworks showcase at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles outside Washington.
He arrived in Washington as organisers of Monday’s Inauguration Day ceremony were scrambling to move most of the outdoor events, including the swearing-in of the president and vice president that traditionally takes place on the steps of the US Capitol, inside due to forecasted sub-zero 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.
Organisers work to move the Inauguration Day swearing-in ceremony into the Capitol Rotunda (J Scott Applewhite/AP)
“I think we made the right decision. We’ll be very comfortable now,” Mr Trump told NBC News in a phone interview on Saturday.
Mr Trump made his way from West Palm, 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 him becoming the 47th president on Monday.
It is a courtesy traditionally extended by the outgoing administration to the incoming one, although Mr Trump did not make a government plane available to President Joe Biden ahead of his inauguration in 2021.
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!”.
On Pennsylvania Avenue leading to the White House, crews were breaking down metal bleachers that would have been used for outdoor inauguration viewing stands.
Even before Mr Trump got to town, groups of protesters began taking to the street in the morning as light sleet fell.
Melody Hamoud, a Washington resident, wore a pink hat that she had on at a 2017 march to protest Trump’s first inauguration.
“I just didn’t want to sit home and fret in front of the TV,” she said. “I wanted to feel like our movement still has energy and be around others who felt the same.”
Mr Trump said on Saturday he is preparing to roll out a series of executive orders and other actions in the first days of his new administration.
The stage where the 60th Presidential Inauguration was scheduled to take place ion the West Front of the US Capitol (Morry Gash/AP)
He confirmed he will “most likely” grant an extension that might allow TikTok to keep operating in the US beyond Sunday, when a law that prohibits mobile app stores and internet hosting services from distributing TikTok to US users takes effect.
In the NBC News interview, he confirmed his administration would begin its effort “very early, very quickly” on following through on a campaign promise of mass deportations of migrants living in the US without legal permission.
Federal immigration officers are expected to initially target more than 300 people in the Chicago area with histories of egregious, violent crimes after Mr Trump takes office Monday, according to an official familiar with the planning who spoke on condition of anonymity because plans have not been made public.
“Well, it’s got to happen, and if it doesn’t happen, we’re not going to have a country any longer,” said Mr Trump, who declined to say where the deportation operations would begin.
Mr Trump left office in 2021 after his refusal to accept his loss to Democrat Joe Biden led a mob to overrun the Capitol. He then broke tradition by skipping Mr Biden’s inauguration.
Mr Biden will adhere to one of the most potent symbols of the democratic handover, welcoming Mr Trump to the White House and joining him on the ride to the Capitol before his successor takes the oath of office.
Vice President-elect JD Vance speaks during a dinner event at the National Gallery of Art in Washington on Saturday (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
Mr Trump told NBC the theme of his inauguration speech would be “unity and strength” and the word “fairness”.
While Mr Trump was holding court at his Virginia golf club on Saturday evening, Vice President-elect JD Vance was attending a reception for Cabinet members and hosting a dinner in Washington.
On Sunday, the eve of his inauguration, Mr 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, followed by a private dinner.
On Inauguration Day, he 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 ahead of going to the Capitol
It is not quite clear how the ceremony will be adapted to the Capitol Rotunda, which holds only 600 people. More than 250,000 guests had tickets to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds.
The planned traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue has changed into an indoor event because of the cold, with Mr 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.