Amid a heightened terror threat level, President-elect Donald Trump is holding "a victory rally you'll never forget" for 20,000 supporters the day before his Inauguration in Washington, D.C.
The "Make America Great Again Victory Rally" will start at 3 p.m. at Capital One Arena on January 19, and the announcement came on January 1, the day of the New Orleans and Trump Hotel attacks which are being investigated as terror incidents.
Newsweek reached out to the Trump transition team for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump has not held a rally in D.C. since he delivered a speech on the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, which proceeded the insurrection on the Capitol by his supporters. It also marks the first rally since his election victory. Prior to his 2016 Inauguration he held a "thank you tour" in several states leading up to it.
What To Know
Doors will open at 11 a.m, and people are able to register for up to two tickets per phone number for the Make America Great Again Victory Rally which starts at 3 p.m. at Capital One Arena on January 19, according to the Trump Inauguration website.
"Join President Trump at Capital One Arena for a victory rally you'll never forget!" the website reads.
The arena is the home to the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals as well as the National Basketball Association's Washington Wizards. It is able to hold slightly over 20,000 people.
Already the event is being questioned on security grounds. Former director of Department of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson told MSNBC's Morning Joe host Jonathan Lemire that the short notice for the rally, in light of the recent attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, could present a problem for security.
The event will take place a day before Trump is sworn into office. On January 20 the inauguration will take place at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., usually on the West Front, which faces the National Mall and offers a view of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
More than a dozen House Democrats have announced they will not go to Trump's Inauguration. But President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are planning to attend, a White House spokesperson told Reuters in November. Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, also rejected Trump's inauguration invitation.
Flags will be lowered to half-staff, however, during Trump's Inauguration. Biden has ordered U.S. flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days in honor of Jimmy Carter, the longest-lived American president who died at 100.
January 20 marks Trump's second inauguration, as the 47th president. Ohio Senator JD Vance will be sworn in as the 50th vice president.
A new Gallup poll released on December 27 showed Trump has a positive approval rating going into the new year, with 51 percent of Americans approving of how he's handling his transition into power versus 44 percent who disapprove.
Gallup reported that Trump's 2016 approval rating was level with his disapproval rating, making the newest poll an improvement on most fronts for him—the main exception being that the pollster noted "all incoming presidents since Bill Clinton had transition approval ratings of at least 61 percent" with 30-point gaps over their disapproval ratings.
What People Are Saying
Jeh Johnson, former director of Department of Homeland Security, told MSNBC: "A very gigantic presidential level rally presents a significant security challenge in terms of resources, manpower, so it's not as simple as just throwing a big party on short notice. You've got to put a lot of security in place when you have the person about to become president in this current threat environment."
What's Next
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies made a limited number of inauguration tickets available to the public through members of Congress, which will be available to the public in the weeks leading up to the event. Tickets are free.
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