Trump family departs for Washington DC ahead of inauguration on Jan 20
Washington, Jan 19 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) President-elect Donald Trump and his family are headed to Washington, D.C. ahead of his inauguration on a US military airplane supplied by President Joe Biden.
The President-elect’s private navy and crimson “Trump Force One” and the US military plane were both on the tarmac at Palm Beach International Airport on Saturday.
Trump’s son Eric and Eric’s wife Lara boarded the private plane, according to the media.
Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team, wrote on X, that “The President and First Lady are leaving Mar-a-Lago now for Washington, DC, on a great journey of success for our country!”
For his less than a three-hour flight to Washington Dulles International Airport, Trump, his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared are on a specially configured Boeing BA.N 757-200 in trademark blue and white colours and bearing the words “United States of America”.
After he arrives in DC, Trump is expected to head to his golf club in Sterling, Virginia, on the outskirts of Washington.
From there, he’s be joined by some 500 guests to watch a fireworks display and musical performances that include Leo Days, an Elvis impersonator, and Christopher Macchio, a tenor who has been featured at other political events.
Trump will also hold a rally with supporters inside the Capital One Arena in downtown D.C. on Sunday, the eve of his inauguration.
The President-elect aims to execute rapid mass deportations of undocumented immigrants once he takes office.
Deportations of illegal immigrants will begin “very early, very quickly” after inauguration.
Trump emphasised the priority of removing criminals from the country, asserting widespread support for this approach.
Trump declined to reveal which cities would be targeted first, noting the evolving nature of the plan.
Trump maintained that the effort is about ensuring the removal of criminals, stressing its importance.
President-elect Trump emphasised his desire for the war between Israel and Hamas to end during a phone interview with NBC News.
Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to “keep doing what has to be done” while highlighting the importance of upholding the ceasefire-hostage agreement.
Trump plans to meet with Netanyahu “fairly shortly” but did not provide further details about the meeting.
When asked about the release of hostages held by Hamas, Trump said that the US will demand “respect” for the agreement and warned of consequences if it is violated.
President-elect Trump plans to visit Los Angeles next week to survey wildfire damage after his inauguration.
Trump intends to call on California to release water from the northern parts of the state to help Southern California.
Trump previously planned to visit California on Friday but decided to wait until after his inauguration.
In an NBC interview, Trump said that visiting as President would be “more appropriate”.
Trump said he has not yet spoken to California Governor Gavin Newsom regarding the wildfires.
Mark Zuckerberg is co-hosting a reception on Monday night in celebration of Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The event is part of unofficial activities surrounding Trump’s inauguration.
Zuckerberg is joining Miriam Adelson, widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and a major Trump donor.
Todd Ricketts, longtime Trump supporter and co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, is also co-hosting the event.
The reception will bring together major Republican donors and influential figures in support of Trump.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy will attend Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
The announcement was made by Meloni’s office on Saturday.
According to an agenda entry on the Italian government’s website, Meloni will be at the inauguration ceremony at 12 p.m. ET.
The event will take place at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The theme of the 60th Inaugural Ceremony is “Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise,” according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
