By Tim Reid and Joseph Ax, Reuters
US President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a MAGA victory rally at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC on 19 January, 2025, one day ahead of his inauguration ceremony. Photo: JIM WATSON / AFP
Donald Trump told thousands of roaring supporters he would impose severe limits on immigration on his first day in office, vowing to swiftly fulfill the central promise of his presidential campaign on Sunday at a rally inside a packed Washington arena a day before he returns to power.
"By the time the sun sets tomorrow, the invasion of our country will have come to a halt," he said to cheers at a "Make America Great Again Victory Rally" at the Capital One Arena.
Trump repeated his campaign pledge to launch the largest deportation effort in US history, which would remove millions of immigrants. An operation of that scale, however, would likely take years and be hugely costly.
The rally resembled the free-wheeling campaign speeches that have been a Trump staple since his first White House run in 2016, with the former and future president delivering a mix of boasts, false claims and sweeping promises to the delight of the crowd.
"This is the greatest political movement in American history, and 75 days ago, we achieved the most epic political victory our country has ever seen," he said. "Starting tomorrow, I will act with historic speed of strength and fix every single crisis facing our country."
The event marked his first major address in Washington since his speech on 6 January, 2021, that preceded the storming of the US Capitol by an angry mob of his supporters. Trump has said he will pardon many of the more than 1,500 people convicted or charged in connection with the attack.
Trump's rally, along with his inaugural address on 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.
A source familiar with the planning said border security will figure prominently in Trump's first executive orders on Monday, which are likely to classify drug cartels as "foreign terrorist organisations," declare an emergency at the US-Mexico border and move toward reinstatement of the "Remain in Mexico" policy which forces non-Mexican asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their US court dates.
Trump said he would "get radical woke ideologies the hell out of our military" and order the military to construct a missile defense shield over the US, though he has yet to offer details on how to carry it out.
He also promised to reverse the "over-classification" of government documents, a seeming reference to his federal indictment for retaining classified papers after leaving office. That case, along with a separate federal indictment for plotting to overturn the 2020 election, was dropped by the Justice Department after Trump won in November.
The indoor hockey and basketball venue will also host some of Monday's inauguration festivities after forecasts of bitter cold prompted officials to move the planned outdoor events inside.
He also pledged to release classified documents relating to the assassinations of President John F Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Biden's last hurrah
Earlier on Sunday, Trump had breakfast with Republican US senators at Blair House, the guest quarters across from the White House. John Cornyn, Susan Collins, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott and Tim Scott were among the attendees seen leaving the event.
He later placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington. Trump saluted the tomb as a military bugler played 'Taps'.
Ahead of the event, Trump's fans, many dressed in the campaign's trademark red jackets and MAGA hats, waited in a cold, driving rain along several downtown Washington blocks, some chanting "US! US!"
Val Tordjman, 58, had traveled across the country from Denver with tickets to watch the inauguration. When he heard the ceremony was being moved inside, notably cutting the size of the in-person audience, he said, "I felt like crying."
Tordjman said he planned to spend the night on the street next to the arena, despite temperatures forecast to plunge to around 19 degrees Fahrenheit (-7C). He said he had yet to see Trump in person.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity," he said.
US President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak at a MAGA victory rally at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. Photo: JIM WATSON / AFP
Large swaths of the streets around the US Capitol and White House have been blocked off by steel fences since last week, and police were visible throughout the city. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew planned to attend the rally, hours after the company announced it was restoring its service thanks to Trump's promise to delay a US ban that took effect on Sunday.
Chew is also expected to join other tech executives at Trump's inauguration on Monday, including the world's richest man, Elon Musk, a close Trump confidant who made a brief appearance on stage with Trump.
Trump took credit for bringing TikTok back online and said the US would do a "joint venture" to save the app alongside bidders to buy the company.
Biden, meanwhile, made his last official trip as president on Sunday to Charleston, South Carolina, to mark Martin Luther King Jr Day, which is also on Monday. He attended services and spoke about King's legacy at Royal Missionary Baptist Church, while also urging despondent fellow Democrats not to give up hope.
The inauguration is scheduled for noon ET on Monday (6am Tuesday NZ time), when Trump will take the presidential oath of office inside the rotunda of the Capitol building, after the cold weather prompted organisers to move the ceremony indoors.
Approximately 25,000 law enforcement personnel will be on hand to provide security.
- Reuters
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