Excerpts from Trump’s pre-inauguration speech via Reuters

Written by James Oliphant

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – On the eve of his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Washington where it was cold and his supporters celebrated his victory.

Here are some highlights from Trump’s remarks on Sunday:

PARK THE HOOK

While signing for weeks, Trump is expected to sign a series of executive actions on Monday to fulfill his campaign promises.

“The American people have put their trust in us, and in return, we’re going to give them the best first day, the greatest first week and the most extraordinary 100 days of any presidency in history. of America,” Trump said.

A source familiar with the plan confirmed that Trump is preparing to sign more than 200 executive actions on Monday.

The orders are expected to cover border security, mass deportations, rolling back various government initiatives, pardoning those accused of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, boosting oil and gas production, and replace thousands of government officials, among other strategic things.

Trump vowed to rescind “every bold and foolish executive order of the Biden administration” within hours of taking office.

Trump and other rally speakers said Trump had been given a clear mandate to carry out his plans.

Despite criticizing his predecessor’s record, Trump largely avoided name-calling in previous rally speeches. It was perhaps a preview of the tone Trump will try to strike during his inaugural address on Monday.

THE EFFECT IS UPGRADED

The meeting itself was unusual.

As usual with a new president, campaign speeches generate more intense debate. The language of change is mainly about the transfer between systems.

But the crowd that was there Capital One (NYSE:) Arena was indistinguishable from any of Trump’s first campaign events: men and women wearing red MAGA hats, Trump emblazoned shirts and American flag regalia.

And the speakers who took the stage often spoke at the first events: Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, longtime Trump aide Stephen Miller, and two of Trump’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric.

Trump, too, spent much of his campaign material on border security and crime and played defiant videos in stadiums.

As the campaign wound down, Trump lamented the fact that his rallies were winding down. So Sunday’s event was a surprise thank you to his supporters.

“We’re all going to swear together. That’s the way I look at it,” Trump said to cheers.

JUXTAPOSITION

Sunday’s event may stand as a surprise with a rare swearing-in event on Monday at the US Capitol, where all the stars of technology such as Tesla’s Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta and Google (NASDAQ: ) Sundar Photosi is expected to attend. Their companies and many others have given millions to Trump’s startup fund.

Trump intends to pack his administration with billionaires, including Musk, the world’s richest man, who will lead his government enforcement efforts, Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the The Department of Finance appoints Scott Besent and education nominee Linda McMahon.

The official balls at which Trump is expected to speak on Monday night are invitation-only and likely to include mega-donors and US elites.

The conflict between MAGA politician diehards and Trump’s business partners has already manifested itself on issues such as H1-B visas, the visa program for foreign science workers, and TikTok and is likely to deepen when Trump pointed out his priorities.

Is there room under the Trump tent for them all? We will find out soon.

PRESIDENT MUSAKA?

Musk has been at Trump’s side since he won the election in November, so it’s no surprise that Trump asked him to come on stage during the rally to cheer up the MAGA faithful.

“We are eager to make many changes, and this victory is a real start,” said Musk, who will become the chairman of the Trump Administration’s Administration.

But Musk’s advisory role may extend beyond that mandate.

He is likely to work with Trump’s White House appointees like Russell Vought and James Sherk to reduce the size of the federal government while replacing thousands of employees with Trump’s hand-picked political staff.

As befits his position, Musk was called to the stage by Trump to speak, while JD Vance, who will be sworn in Monday as vice president, was not.

As it was, Trump didn’t seem to know exactly where Vance was on the field.

“Wherever he is,” Trump said, looking around. “You’re in another place.”