Trump meets with Republican senators as supporters applaud his return on the eve of his inauguration

WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Donald Trump consulted privately with Republican senators on Sunday before heading to a series of events designed to celebrate his return to power and the “Make America Great Again” movement – despite deep national political divisions on the eve of his inauguration.

The private meeting included a breakfast at Blair House, the president’s official guest residence, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, and gave top Republican Party leaders the opportunity to making last-minute plans just 24 hours before Trump returns to the White House.

Meanwhile, Trump supporters, many arriving from across the country and decked out in their fanciest clothes, including fur coats, filled parties — formal and informal — at hotels and restaurants near the House White. As they moved between the festivities, some could be heard chanting “MAGA” or simply saying it as a greeting to other revelers.

Sunday is Trump’s first full day back in Washington since his election victory and gives him a chance to seize the moment and enthuse his core supporters ahead of the official pomp of Inauguration Day, including the swearing-in at noon.

The national capital prepared in an unprecedented way to ensure the security of events. But unlike the time Trump helped incite a crowd of his supporters to attack the Capitol and I tried retain power in 2021 after his defeat against the Democrat Joe Bidenauthorities do not expect massive protests, unrest or violence. Instead, the city is preparing to welcome crowds celebrating Trump’s second term and MAGA’s. total control of the Republican Party.

This is a remarkable turnaround from four years ago, when Trump left the nation’s capital in disgrace And skipped the inauguration of his successor. Trump fought his way into the 2024 GOP presidential primary and won in November by an Electoral College margin not seen since Democrat Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election.

Yet even with this comfortable victory and his party in full — albeit narrow — control of Congress, the new president remains one of the most polarizing figures in U.S. history, with almost as many fierce detractors what ardent supporters. This means it could be difficult for Trump to fulfill his duties after the election. promises promote bipartisanship while calming political differences.

The president-elect insisted that unity would be a theme of his inauguration speech Monday, alongside strength and fairness, but he also spent months as a candidate declaring that he was elected, he would seek to reprisals against political enemies.

“January 20th can’t come soon enough!” ” Trump posted on his social media site. “Everyone, even those who initially opposed a victory for President Donald J. Trump and the Trump administration, just want it to happen. »

With freezing temperatures expected Monday, Trump ordered his oath of office and most of Monday’s outdoor events will be moved indoors. Officials held a rehearsal Sunday at the U.S. Capitol. But because the Rotunda can only accommodate 600 people, it was unclear whether the more than 250,000 guests who had tickets to watch the inauguration from around the Capitol would have the opportunity to attend the inauguration.

Large viewing screens erected around the National Mall have been taken down, but Trump said there would be information about other indoor locations to watch the ceremonies. The traditional parade was to take place, in one form or another, at the Capital One Arena.

Meanwhile, national and global events captured some of Trump’s attention on Sunday. He took to his social media site to comment on the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the US ban on TikTok.

“The hostages are starting to come out today!” Three wonderful young women will be first,” Trump wrote.

Overnight, millions of US TikTok users were no longer able to watch videos on social media platform as a federal ban on the app went into effect. This is due to a 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: “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to restore TikTok once it is will take office. »

Trump then posted: “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay in the dark! » He promised to issue an executive order on Monday “to extend the period before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can reach an agreement to protect our national security.”

It was not immediately clear how he could do so without violating U.S. law establishing the ban. The president-elect also wrote that he was interested in the United States owning 50% of TikTok under a “joint venture” model, although he did not give many details on that. what that would look like. New national security adviser Michael Waltz insisted Trump could find a solution by Monday.

“I think we should all be confident that he can make that kind of deal,” Waltz told CBS’s “Face the Nation.” He also noted that Trump discussed TikTok in a weekend phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping and that they “agreed to work together on this topic.”

“What we need between now and Monday is to give the president some time to evaluate these deals,” Waltz said. “And if it’s dark, that’s obviously going to be extremely problematic.”

In keeping with tradition, Trump spent Saturday evening Blair Housearriving after a party at his golf club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles west of the city, at which fireworks were performed by opera tenor Christopher Macchio. Macchio is also expected to perform the national anthem at the inauguration.

Amid the snow-covered graves of Arlington National Cemetery, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance – each wearing dark overcoats and red ties – walked together to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a wreath-laying ceremony during which tap dancing was played. Trump said “thank you” after laying the wreath, but did not say otherwise.

The ceremony was also attended by his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, as well as other relatives.

Many of Trump’s chosen nominees for the new administration’s cabinet have also quietly sat on their hands. They included Trump’s pick for secretary of defense Pete Hegseth, secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio and Tulsi Gabbard, pick for director of national intelligence, as well as Ambassador announced by Trump to the United Nations, Elise Stefanik. Several Medal of Honor recipients were also present, wearing their medals.

Later in the day, Trump was scheduled to speak at a rally downtown at the Capital One Arena, home of Washington’s professional basketball and hockey teams, and deliver a speech at a dinner by candlelight.