The Brew: It’s Inauguration Day!!!!
Happy Inauguration Day!
As you may have heard, at noon today, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the nation’s 47th president. It’s a sequel few would have imagined possible four years ago — the greatest political comeback in American history. Historians want to compare him to Grover Cleveland, the only other person to serve two nonconsecutive turns — but better analogy might be Lazarus being resurrected from the grave.
Security in Washington is very tight for today’s events. Some 25,000 law enforcement personnel are on hand, including 8,000 from the National Guard. Roads are blocked off all around the U.S. Capitol. More than 30 miles of security fencing has been put up, the most ever for an event involving national security. While downtown Sunday near the White House I saw someone frisking the statue of the Marquis de Lafayette in Lafayette Square. (Okay, I made that one up.)
But the security is no surprise, given the two assassination attempts on Trump last year and the threats from Iran, to say nothing of those powers within the government who have been hellbent on keeping him from taking office.
Thankfully (unless you have to drive or walk around in the stuff), Mother Nature has pitched in to make the task of protecting the new president a bit easier.
Weather Forces Ceremony Inside
Brutal cold — and, some whisper, security concerns — have forced the ceremony to take place inside the U.S. Capitol for the first time since Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985. Trump announced the decision Friday on Truth Social.
I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way. It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours on the 20th (In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!).
God bless the vendors who were still peddling their Inaugural and Trump wares despite the freezy, icy rain.
A vendor sells Trump and Inaugural merchandise on a corner two blocks from the White House … as close as he could get — on January 19, 2025.
The Capitol One arena will be open so supporters can watch the ceremony without worrying about frostbite. Yesterday afternoon, the arena hosted Trump’s “MAGA Victory” party, featuring Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, and yes, the one and only Village People.
Everybody sing: “It’s fun to live in the U.S. of A. It’s fun to live in the U.S. of A.”
We’re so back !!! pic.twitter.com/TY1AXsDFL3
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) January 20, 2025
War Room’s Rebels and Revolutionaries Preinaugural Party
But the home of the Washington Capitals wasn’t the only place in town rocking in celebration of Trump’s inauguration. Preinaugural parties have taken place all over the city. The Brew managed to get into the Steve Bannon/War Room shindig called “Rebels and Revolutions,” held directly across the street from the White House.
You would think a War Room bash called “Rebels and Revolutions” would be held in some rough-and-tumble bar, not the home of a pristine D.C. law firm — but given how many battles have been (and likely will be) waged in courts as Trump has resumed power, it makes perfect sense.
The event symbolized a great triumph for Bannon. He and his posse were a major force in keeping the MAGA embers burning in the wretched, dispirited days of 2021 and 2022. But Bannon (and others) found themselves persecuted by the Biden regime, literally thrown in jail for contempt of Congress after telling the bogus Pelosi-Cheney J6 Committee they wouldn’t comply with their subpoenas. (This is the same thing Hunter Biden did when summoned to appear before Congress. He served zero jail time for doing so, and in fact, later received a presidential pardon from his father for offenses both known and as yet unknown.) The more we find out about how that committee buried and destroyed evidence, and how little they sought to actually solve the pressing mysteries of what took place that day, it’s no wonder there was talk of Biden issuing a preemptive pardon to Liz Cheney.
Prediction: When Kash Patel takes over the FBI and reveals what the agency has been hiding, Pelosi, Cheney, and the entire ousted regime will be getting a taste of what they’ve been dishing out.
The Traditional Tea at the White House
In keeping with tradition, the incoming president and first lady will start Inauguration Day in a prayer service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, the so-called “Church of the Presidents.” (That’s the one BLM and Antifa tried to burn down in 2020. No D.C. gulags for those rioters.)
Then, in another inaugural tradition, the Trumps will head to the White House for tea with the Big Guy and Dr. Jill. No need to test the tea for poison, though. When the Bidens met Trump in the days after the election, they were all smiles. (Contrast that with the cold reception Jill has given Kamala Harris since the engineering of Joe’s exit from the presidential race. We’ve seen warmer relations between the Israeli and Hamas negotiators.)
Speaking of which, the ceasefire that Biden has been pushing for but Trump got over the finish line has taken effect, with the first batch of hostages now being released. Praise God.
An Official Farewell to Biden, Then Onto Lunch and into the Ballrooms
After the swearing-in ceremony, a formal farewell will be held for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. It’ll be dignified (no singing of of “Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye” for them). Then the Bidens will head off to Joint Base Andrews and into the sunset. (Literally. They’re going to California for a vacation.)
Meanwhile, Donald Trump will be heading to the “President’s Room” for a signing ceremony, where he will sign nominations, memorandums, or executive orders. (Oh, yeah. He’ll be signing over 200 executive orders before the day is through.) After icing down his wrist, the newly sworn-in Trump and Vance team will take part in a luncheon in Statuary Hall. Former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have chosen not to attend the lunch, but will be at the swearing-in ceremony. (Why not go to the luncheon? It’s 15 degrees. What else are they going to do? Sightsee?)
No Parade, But the Balls Must Go On
Thanks to the weather, there won’t be a parade. The grandstands that have been set up– like so much of the grandstanding in Washington — has been all for naught. As mentioned, the party is moving indoors to Capital One Arena.
There will be three official inaugural balls: The Commander-in-Chief Ball, geared toward the military; the Liberty Inaugural Ball, focused on Trump supporters; and The Starlight Ball, which will be loaded with big donors.
Unofficial balls that have been taking place throughout the weekend and will continue tonight include the Crypto Ball, the Legacy of Freedom Ball, and a ball thrown by Turning Point USA.
Along The Stream…
Stream contributor Joseph D’Hippolito has great advice for this morning, “Let’s Cover the Inauguration in Prayer.”
Please check out my tribute to The Stream’s decade of service, published Saturday, in “Happy 10th Anniversary, The Stream!”