Trump Draws Thousands To Washington Victory Rally
Date
1/19/2025 11:14:15 PM
(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Thousands of Donald Trump's supporters waited for hours in the cold and rain to attend his victory rally Sunday, a day before the president-elect returns to power with plans to aggressively reshape US immigration and trade policy.
The Republican, 78, placed a wreath first at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery before making his first major speech in Washington since a Jan. 6, 2021, rally with his supporters that preceded the storming of the US Capitol. trump saluted the tomb as a military bugler played "Taps."
The "Make America Great Again Victory Rally" was due to start at 2000 GMT at Capital One Arena, an indoor hockey and basketball stadium and the venue for some of Monday's inauguration festivities after forecasts of bitter cold prompted officials to cancel a planned outdoor celebration.
The line of supporters, many dressed in Trump's trademark red jackets and MAGA hats, stretched over several downtown Washington blocks. Some chanted "USA! USA!" and others spoke over megaphones while they waited to be allowed in.
Val Tordjman, 58, from Denver said he planned to spend the night on the street next to the arena, despite temperatures forecast to plunge to around -7 degrees Celsius.
Large swaths of the city around the US Capitol and White House have been blocked off by steel fences since last week and there was a heightened police presence throughout the area.
Trump's rally, along with his inaugural address Monday, could preview the tone he plans to adopt during his second White House term. In recent weeks, Trump has bewildered foreign allies by musing aloud about taking over Greenland and the Panama Canal and turning Canada into a US state.
Immigration will be a target of Trump's first executive actions after taking office, along with energy issues and policies aimed at promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, his incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz told CBS.
"The American people gave him a clear mandate. Lock down our border, deport the worst of the worst, take on the cartels," Waltz said in an interview with "Face the Nation."
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, who has become a Trump confidant since spending more than $250mn on his campaign, is scheduled to speak at the event, along with Vice President-elect JD Vance, Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, conservative activist Charlie Kirk and conservative commentator Megyn Kelly.
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