Trump returning to power after unprecedented comeback, emboldened to reshape American institutions

By ZEKE MILLER, CHRIS MEGERIAN and MICHELLE PRICE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, transgression indictments and a brace of assassination attempts to triumph different word successful the White House, will beryllium sworn in as the 47th president connected Monday, taking complaint arsenic Republicans presume unified power of Washington and acceptable retired to reshape the country’s institutions.

Trump volition enactment swiftly after the ceremony, with executive orders already prepared for his signature to jumpstart deportations, summation fossil substance improvement and trim civilian work protections for authorities workers, promising that his word volition bring astir “a marque caller time of American spot and prosperity, dignity and pride.”

He plans to effort to onslaught a hopeful code and telephone for unity, according to excerpts of his prepared code provided by a Trump official, who insisted connected anonymity to preview the speech.

“I instrumentality to the presidency assured and optimistic that we are astatine the commencement of a thrilling caller epoch of nationalist success,” the excerpts say. “A tide of alteration is sweeping the country.”

Frigid upwind is rewriting the pageantry of the day. Trump’s swearing-in was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda — the archetypal clip that has happened successful 40 years — and the inaugural parade was replaced by an lawsuit astatine a downtown arena. Throngs of Trump supporters who descended connected the metropolis to ticker the inaugural ceremonial connected the West Front of the Capitol from the National Mall volition beryllium near to find determination other to presumption the festivities.

Snow falls connected the Capitol successful Washington, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“God has a plan,” said Terry Barber, 46, who drove nonstop from adjacent Augusta, Georgia, to scope Washington. “I’m bully with it.”

Trump’s code excerpts spell retired that helium plans to motion a bid of “historic enforcement orders.”

“With these actions, we volition statesman the implicit restoration of America and the gyration of communal sense,” they say. “My connection to Americans contiguous is that it is clip for america to erstwhile again enactment with courage, vigor, and the vitality of history’s top civilization.”

When Trump takes the oath of bureau astatine noon, helium volition recognize a governmental comeback without precedent successful American history. Four years ago, helium was voted retired of the White House during an economical illness caused by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Trump denied his decision and tried to cling to power. He directed his supporters to march connected the Capitol while lawmakers were certifying the predetermination results, sparking a riot that interrupted the country’s contented of the peaceful transportation of power.

But Trump ne'er mislaid his grip connected the Republican Party and was undeterred by transgression cases and two assassination attempts as helium steamrolled rivals and harnessed voters’ exasperation with ostentation and amerciable immigration.

Now Trump volition beryllium the archetypal person convicted of a felony — for falsifying concern records related to hush wealth payments — to service arsenic president. He volition pledge to “preserve, support and defend” the Constitution from the aforesaid spot that was overrun by his supporters connected Jan. 6, 2021. He’s said that 1 of his archetypal acts successful bureau volition beryllium to pardon galore of those who participated successful the riot.

Eight years aft helium archetypal entered the White House arsenic a governmental newcomer, Trump is acold much acquainted with the operations of national authorities and emboldened to crook it to his vision. He has promised retribution against his governmental opponents and critics, and placed idiosyncratic loyalty arsenic a premier qualification for appointments to his administration.

President-elect Donald Trump arrives astatine a rally up of the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, successful Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

He has pledged to spell further and determination faster successful enacting his docket than during his archetypal term, and already the country’s political, concern and exertion leaders person realigned themselves to accommodate Trump. Democrats who erstwhile formed a “resistance” are present divided implicit whether to enactment with Trump oregon defy him. Billionaires person lined up to conscionable with Trump arsenic they admit his unrivaled powerfulness successful Washington and quality to wield the levers of authorities to assistance oregon wounded their interests.

Trump has pledged to bring speedy alteration to the state by curtailing immigration, enacting tariffs connected imports and rolling backmost Democrats’ clime and societal initiatives.

Long skeptical of American alliances, his “America First” overseas argumentation is being watched warily astatine location and overseas arsenic Russia’s penetration of Ukraine volition soon participate its 3rd twelvemonth and a fragile ceasefire appears to beryllium holding successful Gaza aft much than 15 months of warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas.

Trump, who spent Saturday and Sunday nighttime astatine Blair House crossed from the White House, volition statesman Monday with a supplication work astatine St. John’s Episcopal Church. Then helium and his woman Melania volition beryllium greeted astatine the enforcement mansion by President Joe Biden and archetypal woman Jill Biden for the customary tea. It’s a stark departure from 4 years ago, erstwhile Trump refused to admit Biden’s triumph oregon be his inauguration.

The 2 men and their spouses volition caput to the Capitol successful a associated motorcade up of the swearing-in.

Vice President-elect JD Vance volition beryllium sworn-in first, taking the oath work by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh connected a book fixed to him by his great-grandmother. Trump volition follow, utilizing some a household book and the 1 utilized by President Abraham Lincoln astatine his 1861 inauguration arsenic Chief Justice John Roberts administers his oath.

Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, and his wife, Usha Vance, get to a meal lawsuit astatine the National Gallery of Art successful Washington, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The inaugural festivities began Saturday, erstwhile Trump arrived successful Washington connected a authorities pitchy and viewed fireworks astatine his backstage play nine successful suburban Virginia. On Sunday, helium laid a wreath astatine Arlington National Cemetery and rallied his supporters astatine Washington’s downtown Capital One Arena.

A cadre of billionaires and tech titans who person sought to curry favour with Trump and person donated handsomely to his inaugural festivities, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, volition beryllium successful attendance.

Also contiguous volition beryllium the caput of TikTok, the fashionable Chinese-owned societal media app deemed a nationalist information hazard by the U.S. Trump has promised to assistance an effectual prohibition connected TikTok done 1 of galore enforcement orders expected to beryllium issued connected Monday arsenic the caller president attempts to amusement speedy progress.

At his Sunday rally, Trump teased dozens of coming enforcement actions, promising that “by the clip the prima sets” connected Monday helium volition person signed enforcement orders involving borderline information and migration policy, including a revival of Trump’s first-term effort to unopen down entree to galore caller entries nether what’s called Title 42 exigency provisions.

Other orders are expected to let much lipid and state drilling by rolling backmost Biden-era policies connected home vigor accumulation and rescind Biden’s caller directive connected artificial intelligence.

More changes are planned for the national workforce. Trump wants to unwind diversity, equity and inclusion programs known arsenic DEI, necessitate employees to travel backmost to the bureau and laic the groundwork to trim staff.

“Expect daze and awe,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

“What I’ve been urging the president, and my colleagues, to bash is enactment laser-focused connected delivering connected our promises,” Cruz said. “And that’s what I expect that we’re going to do.”

With power of Congress, Republicans are besides moving alongside the incoming Trump medication connected authorities that volition further rotation backmost Biden medication policies and institute their ain priorities.

“The president is going to travel successful with a flurry of enforcement orders,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “And we are going to beryllium moving alongside the medication and successful tandem.”

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and AP writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.