Donald Trump kicked off the season finale of his American political reality show in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, dancing live with the Village People and promising to make television “fun” again.
“We will never give in. We will never give up. We will never back down. And we will never, ever, ever, ever surrender,“ Trump shouted over raucous cheers and applause at his inaugural eve rally. ”We will fight, fight, fight. And we will win, win, win.”
He was joined on stage by members of the Village People—dressed as a biker, a cowboy, a Native American chief, a military man and a construction worker—who performed “YMCA” with the president-elect as he pumped his clenched fists back and forth, doing his signature dance to the song that closed out each of his 2024 campaign rallies (in spite of the band once threatening legal action against Trump).
ADVERTISEMENT
But the rally fireworks were a warm-up to the real show that begins on Monday afternoon when Trump officially becomes president again.
“Oh, you’re going to have a lot of fun watching television tomorrow,” the incoming 47th president promised supporters.
“Every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration will be repealed within hours of when I take the oath of office,” he said, promising to act with “historic speed and strength to fix” what he described as “crises” created by Joe Biden.
“And it all starts tomorrow when I raise my hand on the Bible to be sworn in, as you are—you’ll be sworn in tomorrow,“ Trump said. ”We’re all going to be sworn in together.”
He did not address whether that book would be one of his signature $60 “God Bless the USA” Bibles—something his business partner in the venture, the artist Lee Greenwood, suggested was a distinct possibility in a pre-rally interview on Fox News.
Greenwood was on hand to play his hit—which bears the same name—on Sunday as Trump descended red-carpeted stairs, waving and fist-pumping as he made his way past fans in an overflowing Capital One arena in the District.
His final MAGA rally as a private citizen was dominated by appearances from the performers, celebrities and family members who dominated his campaign. They included Greenwood, Hulk Hogan, Lee Greenwood, Billy Ray Cyrus, the Village People, actors Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone, UFC CEO Dana White, Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, and, of course, Elon Musk, who bankrolled much of Trump’s presidential campaign and will play a crucial role in the second Trump administration.
The president-elect’s appearance came less than 24 hours before he was scheduled to be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States at the Capitol—indoors, thanks to a frigid polar vortex that prompted the president-elect to move his inaugural festivities inside.
Trump told supporters in the arena that the hundreds of executive orders he plans to sign starting tomorrow will “make you extremely happy.”
His grandchildren, Luke and Carolina Trump, the son and daughter of Eric and Lara Trump, also joined their family on stage to recite the pledge of allegiance—before being upstaged by another child.
“Little X just followed me on stage,” Musk said, apologizing to Trump. “He’s a very enthusiastic supporter as you can see.”
But Trump didn’t mind, calling X “cute as a button” and “smart.”
X, who shares the same name as his father’s social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, jumped up and down—looking much like his father at Trump’s return rally to the spot in Pennsylvania where he was narrowly missed by an assassin’s bullet.
“We’re not going to take it anymore,” Trump declared angrily Sunday after the children vacated his stage. “We’re going to stop the invasion of our borders. We’re going to reclaim our wealth. We’re going to unlock the liquid gold that’s right underneath our feet, he said.
Trump also took credit for brokering the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and for winning the release Sunday of three Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists. “Biden is saying they made the deal,” Trump said, eye rolling as the crowd booed.
“I will prevent World War III from happening,” Trump said, adding, “You have no idea how close we are.”
He repeated his campaign talking points that seem to have won over a majority of Americans: “Think of it: open borders, prisons and mental institutions, men playing in women’s sports. Transgender for everyone,” he said to boos.
“Transgender,” he repeated, shaking his head.
“And very soon we’ll begin the largest deportation in history,” he said to wild applause.
The Daily Beast Podcast episodes are released every Thursday. Like and download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. And click here for email updates as each new episode drops.
