WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� used a raucous rally Sunday on the eve of to promise swift Day 1 action remaking the federal government, shifting federal priorities at breakneck speed and ensuring that 鈥渢he curtain closes on four long years of American decline.鈥�
Supporters filled nearly all of the 20,000-plus-seat Capital One Arena in downtown Washington for a 鈥淢ake America Great鈥� victory celebration, and cheered as Trump said he鈥檇 take quick action on everything from cracking down on the U.S.-Mexico border to promoting oil drilling, reining in the federal workforce and eradicating diversity programs.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to give them the best first day, the biggest first week and the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history,鈥� said Trump, who also promised to roll back executive actions by his predecessor, outgoing President Joe Biden, 鈥渨ithin hours.鈥�
In an unusual move, Trump entered at the arena鈥檚 concourse level and deliberately made his way down the stairs before his speech, stopping frequently to pump his fist and pose for pictures with rallygoers. It was even more surreal after he finished speaking, when the Village People took the stage and the president-elect sang 鈥� and even briefly danced 鈥� along to 鈥淵MCA,鈥� an unofficial anthem of his campaign.
Trump said he'd jump start his agenda with a series of unilateral actions from the White House, telling the crowd, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to see executive orders that are going to make you extremely happy. Lots of them.鈥�
Sunday was Trump鈥檚 first full day back in Washington since his Election Day victory and gave him a chance to energize core supporters before the official pomp of Inauguration Day. Unlike when Trump helped spark a mob of his supporters to and tried in 2021 after his loss to , officials did not expect massive protests, unrest or violence.
Instead, jubilant crowds reveled in Trump鈥檚 coming second term and MAGA鈥檚 of the Republican Party.
Yet even with a comfortable Electoral College victory and his party in full 鈥� albeit narrow 鈥� control of Congress, the incoming president is one of the most polarizing figures in U.S. history, with nearly as many fierce detractors as ardent supporters. That means it could be difficult for Trump to fulfill postelection to promote bipartisanship while healing political differences.
Trump has nonetheless insisted that unity will be a theme of his inauguration speech Monday, along with strength and fairness 鈥� despite spending months as a candidate saying that if elected he would seek .
That was the theme of much of his rally speech Sunday, when Trump returned to the greatest hits of his campaign 鈥� as if the race against Vice President Kamala Harris weren鈥檛 already long decided. Trump denounced 鈥渕igrant crime鈥� by evoking one of his favorite fictional characters, Hannibal Lecter, and promised to stamp out 鈥渨oke鈥� policies and oppose transgender rights.
鈥淭omorrow, 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,鈥� Trump said, adding, 鈥淥nce and for all, we鈥檙e going to end the reign of a failed and corrupt political establishment in Washington."
The event also featured a performance by Kid Rock, who performed 鈥淎ll Summer Long鈥� despite a cold mix of rain and snow falling outside. Others taking the stage included singer Lee Greenwood, whose 鈥淕od Bless the USA鈥� is a Trump favorite.
Billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk 鈥� who Trump has tasked with helping run a special commission to make the federal government more efficient 鈥� took the stage and said 鈥渨e鈥檙e looking forward to making a lot of changes.鈥� Jon Voight, an actor named by Trump as a special ambassador to Hollywood, declared the president-elect 鈥渙ur hero. A man who never gave up on the American people, and we the people never gave up on him.鈥�
Stephen Miller, Trump鈥檚 pick to be deputy chief of staff and a key architect of the administration鈥檚 promised hard-line immigration polices, vowed that 鈥渏ustice is coming.鈥�
鈥淲e are about to get our country back and our democracy back,鈥� Miller said, adding 鈥淒onald J. Trump is about to save this country.鈥�
With expected Monday, Trump directed , and officials held a rehearsal Sunday for his swearing-in in the U.S. Capitol's Rotunda, which holds only 600 people compared to the 250,000-plus guests who had tickets to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds.
Also Sunday, Trump had breakfast privately with Republican senators at , the president鈥檚 official guest residence, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, and took to his social media site to comment on the and the U.S. ban on TikTok.
鈥淗ostages starting to come out today!." Trump wrote.
Overnight, millions of U.S. users of TikTok lost the ability to watch videos on as a federal ban on the app took effect. Though the site later began working again for some users, the disruptions reflected a new law requiring its China-based parent company, ByteDance, to divest for national security reasons.
The company made a personal appeal to Trump to intervene, posting a message saying, 鈥淲e are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office."
Trump subsequently posted, 鈥淚鈥檓 asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!" He promised to issue an executive order Monday "to extend the period of time before the law鈥檚 prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.鈥� The president-elect also wrote that he was interested in the U.S. owning 50% of TikTok in a 鈥渏oint venture鈥� model, though he did not offer much detail on what that would look like.
Another stop for Trump on Sunday were snow-covered graves at Arlington National Cemetery, where he and Vice President-elect JD Vance 鈥� each wearing dark overcoats and red ties 鈥� walked together to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a wreath-laying ceremony that included the playing of taps. Trump mouthed 鈥渢hank you鈥� after placing the wreath.
The pair later spent nearly half an hour in Section 60, the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, talking with families of soldiers who died .
The scene was far different than in August, when two Trump campaign staff members verbally 鈥渁bused and pushed鈥� aside a cemetery official who tried to stop them from filming and photographing in Section 60.
Will Weissert, Fatima Hussein And Josh Boak, The Associated Press
