Trump promises end of ‘four years of American decline’ at MAGA rally

The United States president-elect, Donald Trump, has pledged to end “four long years of American decline” at a raucous pre-inauguration rally in the capital, Washington, DC.

At a “Make America Great Again (MAGA) Victory Rally” at the Capital One Arena on Sunday, Trump declared, “We’re going to give them the best first day, the biggest first week, and the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history.”

“Tomorrow, at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of American decline, and we begin a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride”, Trump said, adding, “Once and for all, we are going to end the reign of a failed and corrupt political establishment in Washington”.

Trump, 78, is due to be sworn in as the 47th US president at 17: 00 GMT on Monday. After the ceremony was moved indoors due to the icy conditions that caused organisers to move the ceremony inside the Capitol building’s rotunda.

At the MAGA rally, Trump pledged a “brand-new day of American strength and prosperity” by cracking down on everything from “illegal” immigration across the US-Mexico border to promoting oil drilling, reining in the federal workforce and eradicating diversity programmes.

“By the time the sun sets tomorrow, the invasion of our country will have come to a halt”, he said.

His first significant address in Washington, DC since his speech on January 6, 2021, which sparked the enraged crowds at the US Capitol. Trump has promised to pardon many of the more than 1,500 people who have been charged or found guilty in connection with the attack.

Trump entered the stadium from a public entrance, avoiding the crowds of supporters, and stayed true to the populist message and messaging of his presidential campaign.

He pledged to repeal “every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration” within hours of assuming the presidency. He will take more than 200 executive actions on Monday, according to local media reports.

You’ll be greeted with executive orders that will delight you heart the most. Lots of them”, Trump told his supporters at the rally.

He added that he would make historical records available about the assassinations of well-known Americans in the 1960s, including Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most revered civil rights leaders in the US, and his brother Bobby Kennedy, who was shot while running for president.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Space X, Tesla, and the owner of X, once more received attention at the MAGA rally.

Musk is expected to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to reduce federal spending and workforce. He was one of Trump’s most vocal supporters during the recent US election.

Kid Rock and singer Lee Greenwood, whose song “God Bless the USA” is a Trump favorite, performed at the event as well.

Jon Voight, an actor named by Trump as a special ambassador to Hollywood, declared the president-elect “our hero”.