Trump to rally in DC ahead of inauguration

President-elect Donald Trump speaks to reporters before a New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Donald Trump is expected to hold a big Washington rally the day before he’s sworn in as the nation’s 47th president.

The victory rally, as it’s being billed, will be held at the Capitol One Arena in the District of Columbia on Jan. 19. Trump has always preferred rally-style events where he can freewheel and joke with his supporters. He’ll be inaugurated in a formal ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20th.

“This is President Trump’s VICTORY RALLY the DAY before being sworn in as the 47th President — the crowd needs to be HUGE!” read an email to supporters advertising the event.

The rally is indoors — Trump’s big outdoor events were limited in the months following an assassination attempt. The arena seats roughly 20,000 people.

Security will be tight; the inauguration is considered a national special security event which frees up federal funds and increases ease of collaboration with local law enforcement.

Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to his inauguration — an unorthodox move that would fold U.S. allies and adversaries into a very American political tradition. It’s not clear if any leaders will actually attend.

The incoming president has pledged to begin a mass deportation effort as soon as he takes office. He’s also vowed to levy massive tariffs against the United States’ chief 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’s also pledged to move quickly to end Russia’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine.