WASHINGTON — The billionaire will have the best seat at President Trump's inauguration Monday as Republican governors, including Florida's Ron DeSantis and Texas' Greg Abbott, watch from the Capitol's overflow room. performers, most of whom were newly friendly to Mr. Trump. underground.
Three of the world's richest people, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, have gained valuable positions alongside President Trump, 78. , Trump promised to start a “Golden Age for America,” while also promising to destroy the country's “Golden Age.” Corrupt system. ”
Only about 600 people were allowed in the Capitol Rotunda, and not all members of Congress were able to attend, as the inauguration was moved indoors due to dangerously cold weather.
Despite space limitations, Mr Zuckerberg and Mr Bezos were given plus-ones and were accompanied by their wife Priscilla Chan and partner Lauren Sanchez, respectively.
First son-in-law Jared Kushner, now an investment manager and once Trump's right-hand man in the West Wing, joined him and other members of the Trump family in the front row and chatted with the group. I was seen doing it.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook were also nominated by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services, and for Secretary of Homeland Security. They lined up with wealthy people right in front of the Trump administration's cabinet nominees, including Kristi Noem.
Elsewhere, Xiang Chu, CEO of Chinese-owned TikTok, sat next to Tulsi Gabbard, who is nominated to be the next Director of National Intelligence. The move comes days after President Trump said he would not ban Chinese-owned apps and instead call for 50-50 regulation. Joint venture with an American company.
During his speech, President Trump spoke about his new opponents, many of whom he opposed in his first term and who have spoken out in the aftermath of the 2021 Capitol riot, including outgoing President Biden, former Presidents Barack Obama and President George W. Kennedy. The people who deplatformed Trump) were shown over his right shoulder. Bush and Bill Clinton watched from his left.
The newly sworn-in president has vowed to break with the past for a year on immigration, foreign affairs and other areas, but said in a speech he hopes to be remembered as a “peacebuilder and unifier.” he said.
The single largest allocation of tickets may have gone to French billionaire Bernard Arnault, the richest non-American and owner of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, who owns his wife He attended with Hélène, daughter Delphine, and son Alexandre. The family supported the former president.
The simplified inauguration ceremony was attended by outgoing first lady Jill Biden and former first ladies Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.
Media representatives also attended, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, podcaster Joe Rogan, and Rupert Murdoch, chairman emeritus of Fox and CEO of New Corp, which includes the Post newspaper. .
All nine Supreme Court justices were present in the Rotunda, as were Mr. Trump's international right-wing populist allies, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Argentine President Javier Milei.
President Trump tried to avoid any bad feelings with the guests in the overflow room by flattering them and giving a lengthy follow-up speech there as well.
“You're a much younger, much more beautiful audience than the one I just spoke to, and I don't want that to go on the record,” Trump said.
“I want to put it off the record because I don't want the big guys out there. I tell them you're more powerful than them, you're better than them, and I want you to I don't want you to think that I love you.''
The crowd included Mr. Abbott, who President Trump praised in his remarks for his actions against illegal immigration, as well as Mr. DeSantis, who is challenging Mr. Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination. It also included a number of Republican officials who were involved. – Again, critics like Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, and Utah Governor Spencer Cox.
President Trump told a large group that he met Hillary Clinton, whom he defeated in 2016, in the Rotunda and that “she didn't seem very happy today.”
He praised Vice President J.D. Vance for overcoming negative press and partisan criticism shortly after he was elected vice president in July.
Vance “dealt with some pretty mean people,” Lampe said. “I don't want to use the word corruption. We're in a new system, so let's wait until the corruption sets in, because that's what happens.” But he dealt with some pretty mean people, and he handled them well. did. ”
President Trump also told the Overflow Room that Democrats “desperately tried” to “rig” the 2024 election and that the mob that stormed the Capitol in 2021 to disrupt the certification of Biden's victory He expressed his intention to pardon them immediately.
“I think this was a better speech than the one I gave upstairs,” Trump concluded. “I gave you the A+ treatment!”
