Eight years ago, the shock of the Republican's victory dictated public sentiment during his inauguration ceremony. Today, things look different. Donald Trump is back in office - this time, he won not only the Electoral College votes, but also the popular vote - while in 2016, Hillary Clinton received nearly 3 million more votes than him. Protests against his election are again taking place, but nowhere near the scale they were then. In 2017, Trump entered a dispute over whose inauguration was more well-attended - his or Barack Obama's. Now, that won't happen, because the ceremony will be held in the Capitol building due to the low temperatures, and the Republican's supporters will be able to watch it in a nearby gym, where he is also scheduled to appear later in the day. And the guest list is, to put it mildly, unconventional.
Trump has allies all over the world today, and a large number of them will be coming to Washington, even though it is traditional for heads of state, government, and parties from other countries to be invited to the inauguration. But Trump is not a stickler for following established order, and according to “Politico“ The ceremony will become a who's who of the world of right-wing populism today.
Meloni, Milley and other far-right leaders
Donald Trump has invited many of the world leaders he has spoken to on the phone or visited at his Mar-a-Lago estate since his election victory. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has confirmed she will come to Washington, as has Argentine President Javier Milley, known for his radical right-wing policies. It is striking that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has not been invited.
Meloni, who visited Trump in Florida last month, was called a "fantastic woman" by the president-elect. She has been at the helm of Italy since 2022 and is currently considered one of Europe's most stable leaders. Although he comes from a far-right political party, Meloni has worked well with Joe Biden and has taken a strong stance in support of Ukraine.
The arrival of a sitting Italian prime minister for an inauguration in Washington is a precedent, but according to an anonymous diplomat who spoke to “Politico“, people like Meloni are willing to make this exception because it is important to Trump and “everyone wants certain things from him“. The president-elect's other “favorite“ among European leaders - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - confirmed that he has been invited, but will not be able to attend the ceremony. However, other far-right politicians will be there - Nigel Farage of the UK, Eric Zemmour of France, former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the co-chairman of “Alternative for Germany“ Tino Krupala.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping will also not be in Washington, but Beijing sent Vice President Han Zheng, who even managed to meet with his American counterpart J.D. Vance and billionaire Elon Musk before the ceremony.
Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg
Musk, who will hold an official position in Trump's political cabinet, also has a key role in the inauguration festivities. Yesterday, he appeared at a Trump event in Washington to show his support. META founders Mark Zuckerberg and “Amazon“ Jeff Bezos will also attend the ceremony.
Both billionaires, who in previous years supported the Democratic Party, completely changed their attitude towards Trump in the wake of his re-election. They each invested $1 million in his inauguration ceremony, and just days before that, Mark Zuckerberg announced drastic changes to META's moderation and content verification policies, which are much closer to the understandings of the Trump-friendly owner of X Elon Musk. During the election campaign, Bezos stopped the decade-old tradition in the newspaper he owns, The Washington Post, of officially supporting the Democratic presidential candidate.
Celebrations and balls
Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021 was supported by stars such as Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez, who sang at his inauguration. Now Trump will be able to count on tenor Christopher Macchio and country singer Carrie Underwood. Other performers such as Kid Rock and the Village People will also take part in the subsequent celebrations.
The celebrations will last several days. At least 18 balls are planned in Washington alone to mark the inauguration, ARD notes. Trump is expected to attend three of them. Last night, he already appeared at a campaign event and spoke to his supporters. The speech was reminiscent of those from his election campaign, notes the “New York Times“. He promised to fulfill his campaign promises despite a “failed and corrupt political establishment“ in Washington. “Tomorrow at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of American decline and we begin a new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride”, he also said, promising to once again take up the deportation of illegal immigrants in the United States, as well as to grant amnesty to his supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He could do it on his first day in office.
"That was pretty weird"
One of the big questions this year is whether Trump's inauguration speech will set a more positive tone than his 2017 one. Back then, he described the situation in US society as "American carnage". His speech prompted former US President George W. Bush to turn to Hillary Clinton during the ceremony and say: "That was pretty weird", as reported by US media. How weird will it be now?
Author: Alexander Detev