Inauguration festivities will begin in full force Saturday as President-elect Trump and his allies — and protesters — arrive in Washington ahead of Monday’s inauguration of the 47th president of the U.S.
Trump is expected to arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, and he will later host a reception and fireworks display at his Virginia golf course. There will also be a Cabinet reception and dinner for Vice President-elect Vance at the National Gallery of Art on Saturday evening.
The D.C. People’s March, organized by several activist groups, kicked off Saturday morning. It will culminate in a rally outside the Lincoln Memorial at 3 p.m., and about 50,000 people are expected to attend.
On Sunday, Trump will host a rally at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, where allies such as tech billionaire Elon Musk are expected to deliver remarks. The Village People, Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus are also set to perform.
Although Saturday is expected to be balmy, Monday’s inauguration ceremony was moved inside the Capitol as freezing temperatures and a snow storm are expected to envelop Washington later in the weekend.
Follow along below for the latest updates as Inauguration Day approaches.
Trump boards plane to DC
Trump, along with incoming first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron Trump, walked up the stairs to the plane at 4:35pm at Palm Beach International Airport.
The president-elect waved from the top of the stairs before entering the plane. He is heading for Washington for his inauguration on Monday.
Trump’s family leaves for DC
Trump’s adult children and grandchildren left from Palm Beach to travel to Washington, D.C., for the Inauguration just before 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Eric and Lara Trump and Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and their kids boarded Trump’s plane on the tarmac at Palm Beach International Airport. The other plane on the tarmac was the official government plane that will carry Trump to Washington later in the afternoon.
Trump’s departure is expected at 4:30 p.m.
Pence expected to attend Trump inauguration
Former Vice President Mike Pence is planning to attend President-elect Trump’s inauguration on Monday, a source familiar with his plans told The Hill.
Pence will likely be one of many current and former high-ranking officials to attend the inauguration ceremony, alongside President Biden, former President Obama and former President Bush.
The event ended up being moved inside the Capitol because of a projected snowstorm and freezing temperatures expected in Washington.
The People’s March wraps up
The People’s March wrapped up around 3 p.m. as one advocate led attendees in a chant of “I believe we will win!”
The sun has started to peak out behind the clouds while music continued to blare from the speakers.
Gender Liberation Movement co-founder urges protesters to ‘take up space’
Raquel Willis, co-founder of the Gender Liberation Movement, had a clear message to those attending the People’s March: “Take up space.”
“So if you feel disempowered, if you feel angry and afraid, it’s time to take up space,” Willis told attendees on Saturday.
“If you know that women and girls and dolls and fems are the rulers of their own lives, take up space,” Willis continued. “If you know men and boys and masculine folk, especially my trans men and trans masculine folk can be empathetic and understanding, take up space.”
Palestinian rights activist calls for permanent ceasefire
Iman Abid, director of advocacy and organizing at the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, urged for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and urged the U.S. to stop sending weapons to Israel during the march.
“Days ago, we learned that a temporary ceasefire deal has been reached after over 15 months of Israel bombarding Gaza and massacring tens of thousands of Palestinians,” she said Saturday.
“This is urgently needed relief, but it is only the beginning. We will not stop until the occupation ends, the blockades are lifted and the violence ends,” she added.
A deal was reached for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was announced on Wednesday and is anticipated to start on Sunday.
The war has served as a flashpoint in the Democratic presidential primary and has divided Democrats over how to handle Israel amid its role in an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza after Hamas invaded Israel.
Activist calls on Biden to offer clemency to incarcerated women with drug conspiracy charges
Andrea James, the executive director of the The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, called on President Biden to offer clemency to women in prison for drug conspiracy convictions while speaking at the People’s March.
“President Biden, if you can hear my voice, you have a few hours left to create – to correct a racial injustice,” James said Saturday. “Clemency is racial justice. Clemency is gender justice.”
Activist rips Trump for 2017 comments about Haiti, Africa
Activist Nana Gyamfi took aim at President-elect Trump’s 2017 comments about Haiti and African nations being “s—hole countries,” in her remarks at the People’s March Saturday.
“Immigrant rights is a Black issue,” she told the crowd. “And Black liberation is the key to immigrant rights.”
Gyamfi leads the Black Alliance for Just Immigration.
Trump has denied using the term in the past.
Nelly to perform at Trump Inauguration ball
The hip-hop singer Nelly will perform at the Liberty Ball on Monday for Trump’s inauguration, the inauguration committee announced on Saturday.
“This marks a pivotal moment in our country where people from all backgrounds are joining together to commemorate President Trump’s victory and the start of a new golden era for America,” the committee said in a statement.
Here is the musical lineup for Trump’s inauguration weekend.
Women’s March leaders give statements
Several leaders of the Women’s March speak at the start of the event, including Tamika Middleton and Rachel Carmona.
Local activist calls for DC statehood
Nee Nee Taylor, the executive director of Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, spoke to the crowd and called for people to organize in support of representation for Washington in Congress.
“We deserve a vote and a voice,” she told the crowd.
Taylor went on to discuss other issues such as incarceration and highlighted the importance of organizing.
“Division will get us nowhere,” she said. “When D.C. wins, we all win. Statehood now!”
Taylor continued, telling demonstrators “We are stronger together. We have the power to organize, to educate and to resist.”
Most ticketed guests will not be able to attend Trump inauguration in person
The majority of guests initially planning to attend the inauguration of President-elect Trump will not be able to attend in person after it was moved inside the U.S. Capitol due to cold weather.
The House Sergeant at Arms, informed by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), wrote to lawmakers Friday that “the majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person.”
“Offices are welcome to distribute tickets to constituents in the manner they think best, if they would like to do so,” it wrote. “It is our understanding from the JCCIC that all Members of Congress will be invited to the indoor ceremony.”
On Friday, it was announced the Monday ceremony would move inside due freezing temperatures and a potential snow storm.
General ticket holders were also informed Friday that the “vast majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person.”
Attendees were encouraged to attend indoor events to watch the inauguration.
Trump floats 90-day extension for TikTok
President-elect Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he is likely to give TikTok a 90-day extension while his incoming administration assesses the situation following the Supreme Court decision to uphold a federal ban.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully,” Trump said in a call with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker. “It’s a very big situation.”
Read the full story here.
Argentina president arrives for Trump inauguration
Argentinian President Javier Milei arrived in Washington Saturday ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
Milei was the first world leader to meet with the former president after he beat Vice President Harris in November. He also met with tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk earlier last year.
Sierra Club head: March turnout shows people ‘more energized’ for work ahead
Ben Jealous, the executive director of environmental advocacy group Sierra Club, said Saturday that protest turnout indicates people will be “much more energized for all of the tough work ahead” despite President-elect Trump taking the White House and Republicans holding the majority in both chambers of Congress.
Jealous, a former Maryland gubernatorial candidate, told The Hill in an interview that Saturday’s march in Washington is a “time for people to come back together, to renew their spirits, to join with people in their communities, to figure out how we move forward as a country, even with a Congress and a president that are hostile towards so many of our goals for the people of this country.”
The former NAACP president said the goal on Saturday is to “really inspire people to get ready to work hard,” not just during the start of Maryland’s legislative session, but across the country also.
“It’s a time to come together to renew our spirits and to recommit to getting the work done, this spring,” he said.
What to know about Trump’s potential Jan. 6 clemencies
President-elect Trump is expected to make good on his promises to pardon at least some Jan. 6 rioters on Monday once he assumes the presidency and kicks off his second term in the White House.
Though Trump and his top deputies have kept it vague on which rioters he intends to grant clemency, they’ve insisted he plans to take a “case-by-case” approach to reviewing the files of nearly 1,600 defendants accused of storming the Capitol while Congress certified the presidential election win of his Democratic opponent, President Biden, in 2020.
Here’s what to know about the potential pardons to come.
Trump launches first official cryptocurrency
President-elect Trump launched his first official cryptocurrency, which shot up in value quickly to kick off his inauguration weekend.
“My NEW Official Trump Meme is HERE! It’s time to celebrate everything we stand for: WINNING! Join my very special Trump Community. GET YOUR $TRUMP NOW,” the president-elect shared on Truth Social Friday night.
The cryptocurrency industry spent big in the 2024 election and is readying its wish list for Trump’s second term.
Read more here.
Rally arrives near Lincoln Memorial
Protesters have arrived near the Lincoln Memorial as the event prepares to kick off.
Rally chants against Trump
Protesters are also chanting “F— Donald Trump!” A few men wearing cherry red Trump hats have watched the protest from the side.
Protesters near National Monument
Protesters are nearing the National Monument, making their way down the street. People are chanting, “Stand up! Fight back!” The demonstration has generally been energetic with few disruptions.
Crowd carries anti-Trump signs
Some of the signs dotting the crowds include “My outrage does not fit on this sign,” “Socialism beats fascism!” “They are not the enemy, MAGA is” and “Love more Trump less.”
Protesters chant as they rally in Washington
“No justice! No peace!” and “Who’s streets? Our streets!” are among some of the chants protesters are also chanting.
Throngs of people are taking photos while others are standing and watching.
Protesters begin marching to Lincoln Memorial
“We won’t go back!” protesters chant as they move from Franklin Park to the Lincoln Memorial.
Protesters sell merch as People’s March set to begin
“We have nothing to lose but our change” the crowd chants ahead of the march.
Vendors have also lined up to sell merch.
Protesters congregate ahead of People’s March
On a slightly drizzly day, what appear several hundred protesters have shown up to one of the kickoff points for the People’s March in Franklin Park.
Many attendees are wearing pink “pussy” hats in a nod to President-elect Trump’s infamous comments about groping women in a leaked “Access Hollywood” tape.
The atmosphere seems cheery and calm despite the weather.
Trump border czar: ‘We are going to take the handcuffs off ICE’ after inauguration
President-elect Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan said the incoming administration is going to take “handcuffs” off of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the inauguration next week, allowing the agency to do “their job.”
“ICE is finally going to go out and do their job. We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens. That’s what’s going to happen,” Homan said during his Friday night appearance on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
Spicer predicts over 100 executive orders ‘by the time we wake up Wednesday’
Former Trump White House press secretary Sean Spicer predicted that President-elect Trump will sign over 100 executive orders on a range of topics “early next week.
“My guess is that by the time we wake up Wednesday morning, there’s over 100 executive orders in action, signed by this president,” Spicer said during his Thursday appearance on NewsNation’s show “The Hill.”
Many Americans support Trump’s agenda, but not the person: Survey
Many Americans support President-elect Trump’s agenda, including action on immigration and tariffs, but not the person himself, according to a new survey released on Saturday.
The New York Times/Ipsos poll found that 87 percent of respondents support deporting illegal immigrants in the U.S. who have a criminal record, something Trump vowed to execute while campaigning in 2024. A near majority of respondents, 55 percent, said they support deporting all immigrants who are in the country illegally while 42 opposed it.
Trump’s first trip as president will be to Los Angeles: Sources
President-elect Trump’s first official trip of his second administration will be to visit the Los Angeles areas devastated by wildfires, two sources confirmed to The Hill’s sister station NewsNation.
Trump’s trip is scheduled for late next week, the sources said. The visit comes after deadly fires scorched hundreds of thousands of Southern California acres and killed at least 27 people.
The president-elect has blasted California’s Democratic leadership, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, in the days following the blazes’ genesis.
More from NewsNation.
Stefanik wages Democratic charm offensive ahead of confirmation hearing
Senate Democrats appear to be warming up to Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), President-elect Trump’s combative and confrontational nominee for envoy to the United Nations, encouraged by commitments she’ll engage with the global body rather than seek to burn it down.
Stefanik, who served as the third-ranking Republican leader in the House, has carved out a reputation as a bullish fighter, particularly on confronting instances of antisemitism, and is expected to make calling out anti-Israel bias at the UN a major focus of her posting.
Read story here.