When he returns to the White House on Monday, an ecstatic Donald Trump has pledged to move with “historic speed and strength,” setting the stage for a flurry of executive orders that target transgender rights, illegal immigration, and other right-wing agenda items.
Trump proclaimed, “We won, we won,” on Sunday as he triumphantly returned to Washington and addressed a boisterous “victory rally” in a downtown sports stadium with hundreds of supporters. “What a pleasant sensation. Don’t we like to win, do we? Our nation will become more powerful than it has ever been.
A mix of boasts, untrue statements, and grandiose promises, the soon-to-be 47th president’s speech set the setting for his inauguration at noon on Monday and the populist frenzy that would follow.
“I will act with historic strength and speed of action starting tomorrow to address every single crisis that our nation faces,” he declared.
After I take the oath of office, I will immediately repeal all of the Biden administration’s extreme and stupid executive orders. Watching TV will be a lot of fun for you. Yesterday, someone suggested spreading out the signing over several weeks rather than signing a lot of them all at once. “Like hell… no, we’re doing them tomorrow,” I responded.
Similar to his campaign route, Trump emphasized illegal immigration, presenting the US as a country with open borders besieged by vicious thugs freed from foreign prisons as far away as Congo. He showed a video of alleged crimes perpetrated by unauthorized individuals.
“The invasion of our country will have stopped by the time the sun sets tomorrow,” he declared. “The world has never witnessed such a comprehensive and forceful attempt to reestablish our borders as the border security measures I will present in my inaugural address tomorrow.”
Trump reiterated his campaign promise to begin the largest deportation campaign in US history, removing millions of immigrants. Such a large-scale operation would likely take years and be extremely expensive.
It was his first significant speech in Washington since his speech on January 6, 2021, which was followed by an enraged crowd of his followers storming the US Capitol. Trump has referred to the more than 1,500 individuals found guilty or accused in connection with the attack as “hostages” and stated that he will pardon many of them.
“Everyone in this enormous arena will be extremely pleased with my decision regarding the J6 hostages tomorrow,” he stated. Very pleased. You will be quite happy, I believe.
It was the most unusual pre-inauguration gathering ever organized by an incoming president. On a chilly, overcast, and snowy day, thousands of fans waited in line outside the Capital One Arena. Sweater slogans that referenced January 6 included “Make America great again,” “Pro God, Pro Gun,” and “Proud J6er.”
As Lee Greenwood sang the campaign’s hallmark hymn, God Bless the USA, the crowd erupted in applause and chanted, “USA! USA!” as Trump descended a staircase. He pledged to “take back our country” while standing on the red carpet beneath basketball and ice hockey pennants, although the top tier was largely vacant.
The president-elect declared: “A new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride, begins tomorrow at noon, bringing an end to four long years of American decline.”
He continued by taking credit for the reinstatement of TikTok for US users and the freeing of hostages from Gaza on Sunday. He declared, “As of today, TikTok is back,” before making up the story that his popularity on the app had helped him “win the youth vote.” In 2024, Trump gained a larger portion of the youth vote, but Kamala Harris still won that group.
Trump declared that he would give the military instructions to build a missile defense system that would resemble a “iron dome.” Additionally, he vowed to “get radical woke ideologies the hell out of our military” and showed a video that moved between clips of transgender people purportedly connected to the Biden-Harris administration and scenes of a bullying drill sergeant from the movie Full Metal Jacket.
Trump declared, “We will get critical race theory and transgender insanity the hell out of schools,” as the crowd cheered him on. Tomorrow, this will be completed. Men will not participate in women’s sports.
He announced plans to visit Los Angeles on Friday to assess the damage caused by wildfires that burned the biggest Californian city in at least 40 years and claimed at least 27 lives.
In a further apparent allusion to his federal indictment for keeping confidential materials after leaving office, Trump pledged to undo the “over-classification” of government records. He promised to make public confidential records about the murders of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., his brother Robert Kennedy, and John F. Kennedy.
Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, who is leading a task group to reduce government expenditure and spent $200 million to assist Trump win the election, made an appearance at the rally.
Musk stated, “We’re looking forward to making a lot of changes,” as the audience cheered him on. Really, this win is just the beginning. Going forward, it is important to genuinely implement meaningful changes… and lay the groundwork for America to be strong for centuries to come. and restore America’s greatness.
When Trump praised Musk and his young son, who joined him on stage, he seemed to be alluding to “racehorse theory,” the notion that some lineages generate exceptional children. Trump remarked of Musk, “If you believe in the racehorse theory, he’s got a nice, smart son.”
The phrase refers to racehorse breeding, and Trump has previously defined it as meaning that “fast horses produce fast horses.” White racists, Nazis, and eugenicists have occasionally utilized it to advance racial purity.
Along with Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr., as well as his granddaughter Kai, the rally also included speeches by Hollywood actor Jon Voight and a performance by Kid Rock.
The Village People performed YMCA, the tune that ends almost all of Trump’s campaign rallies, as he concluded his hour-long speech. As they sang, Trump bopped his head, moved on stage, and joined in.
Trump’s plans for the January 6 rioters were warmly received by the Maga faithful. The 30-year-old Felecia Hicks of McAlester, Oklahoma, stated: “He must forgive them. My mother was present on that particular day and might have been among those wrongfully accused.
“I think that a lot of that was sparked by the Capitol police, and the turmoil was exacerbated by numerous infiltrators who appeared to be Trump supporters. Many people have been wrongfully accused and have not received the proper justice.
“He needs to go through with checking our vaccines and getting the red dyes and different things out of our food,” said Hicks, a special education teaching assistant who has been a Trump supporter since 2016. I think he needs to accomplish a number of things, and I wouldn’t want to be the one to decide what should come first.
Carmel, Indiana resident Reina Decapua, 52, was at her first Trump event “because he’s going to be such an awesome president.” His policies are good. I appreciate that he expresses his opinions. He has a pair of balls.
She went on to say that Trump should prioritize removing illegal immigrants, building a wall on the southern border, and maintaining the tax cuts he implemented in 2017.
Irving King, 49, of Washington, DC, stated that he had come to see Hulk Hogan, a wrestler he had admired since he was a young lad. “He is a conservative, so it makes sense that he supports Trump,” he stated. Because we need change, Trump is headed in the correct direction. I’m hoping he’ll make it a little simpler for us to pay our bills and buy groceries.
