Trump to rally in DC ahead of inauguration

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump is expected to hold a large Washington rally the day before he is sworn in as the nation’s 47th president.

The Victory Rally, as it is being billed, will be held at the Capitol One Arena in the District of Columbia on January 19. Trump has always preferred rally-style events where he can run free and joke with his supporters. He will be inaugurated in a formal ceremony at the US Capitol on January 20.

“This is President Trump’s VICTORY RALLY the day before he is sworn in as the 47th President – the crowd is going to be HUGE!” read an email to supporters advertising the event.

The rally is indoors — Trump’s big outdoor events were limited in months after an assassination attempt. The arena has room for around 20,000 people.

Security will be tight; the inauguration is considered a national special security event, freeing up federal funds and increased ease of cooperation with local law enforcement.

Trump invited the Chinese president Xi Jinping and other world leaders to his inauguration—an unorthodox move that would fold American allies and adversaries into a very American political tradition. It is not clear whether any executives will actually participate.

The president-elect has vowed to begin a mass deportation drive as soon as he takes office. He has also vowed to levy massive tariffs on America’s main economic competitor, China, as well as neighbors Canada and Mexico, unless those countries do more to reduce illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He has also promised to move quickly to end Russia’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine.