Today is January 20th — it’s officially President-elect Trump’s Inauguration Day. Today’s newsletter edition is written by DML, Denny, and Ryan.

The 47 Report

Today is the Day

Trump’s Inauguration: Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated for his second term as the 47th President of the United States in a ceremony moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda.

The decision to change the location from the traditional West Front of the Capitol was made due to forecasts of dangerously cold temperatures and high winds, reminiscent of Ronald Reagan's second inauguration in 1985. This shift aims to ensure the safety and comfort of attendees, officials, and politicians at the event.

Critics of this move, particularly among the Democratic opposition, argue that it symbolizes a retreat from public engagement, suggesting the administration might be avoiding the public eye out of Jan. 6 gears. Others have even tried to outlandishly claim it’s because Trump is fearful of a lack of attendance. Ironically, the critics forget Trump survived two assassination attempts this year, with one of them happening at a public campaign event.

Security measures have been significantly heightened for this year’s inaugural events, with over 25,000 law enforcement and military personnel deployed across Washington, D.C. This increase in security is also in response to recent national threats, including the attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas earlier this year. The Secret Service, FBI, and other agencies are on high alert, focusing on preventing any potential disruptions or attacks. Given the current political climate of division in the country, there's a possibility of lone wolf actors.

Opponents of Trump have expressed apprehension about attending the inaugural events altogether, with some Democrats choosing to boycott the ceremony, citing the location change, broader ideological differences, and invoking the memory of the January 6 Capitol protests (see Congress section below). However, despite these oppositions and security concerns, the ceremony will proceed with a lineup of performances and speeches, including Trump's inaugural address.

ALSO…

Trump’s Party: Trump and his family flew from Florida to Virginia over the weekend in preparation for the inauguration. Upon landing at Dulles Airport to a gaggle of reporters, Trump, Melania, and his children headed to Trump Sterling Golf Club, where he hosted a Saturday night reception for 500 guests, including his Cabinet nominees. The evening was complete with an impressively huge fireworks show.

Sunday Rally: Thousands of Trump supporters braved chilly, rainy weather on Sunday, waiting hours to attend the president-elect’s “victory rally” at DC’s Capitol One Arena. MAGA fans gathered as early as 6 a.m. for the 5 p.m. event, with the line quickly stretching several blocks despite the nasty weather. Speakers included Elon Musk, Vice President-elect JD Vance, Megyn Kelly, Charlie Kirk, and UFC CEO Dana White, while performers included Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Greenwood, and The Village People. The packed-out event was truly once in a lifetime.

Reactions

More On Trump

We will update President Trump's approval rating daily based on Rasmussen Polling. This index reflects the opinions of 1,500 likely voters regarding Trump's leadership as the 47th President.

Don Colossus: An Ohio artist created a 15-foot-tall bronze statue of President Trump, valued at $1 million. The statue is set to tour the country before its placement in a future Trump presidential library. Sculptor Alan Cottrill’s “Don Colossus” captures Trump’s iconic fist-pump moment after surviving an assassination attempt at the Butler rally last July. The six-ton statue debuted Saturday evening at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., before beginning its national tour for public viewing. To see the statue, click here.

Trump’s A-Team: The only thing more grand than a mega bronze statue of Trump is a picture of his assembled administration. A photo taken at the Trump Sterling Golf Club reception, which 500 guests attended, included Trump’s Cabinet nominees and was shared on social media by FBI Director nominee Kash Patel. The image features most of the nominees chosen to serve in Trump’s administration.

Trump’s Second Bible: The setting of Trump’s second inauguration isn’t the only unconventional aspect of today’s events. According to Trump’s team, the 47th president will have his hand on two Bibles during his swearing-in ceremony: the traditional Lincoln Bible used in 1861 and a personal Bible given to him by his mother in 1955. President Obama also took the oath of office on two Bibles back in 2013, with one being the Lincoln Bible and one that Martin Luther King Jr. owned.

Media Mania

Make America Inspire Again: For years since he first ran for office, the mainstream media has constantly nitpicked and deceptively edited videos of Trump to make it appear he is a dictatorial figure who will ruin the country. They cut manipulated video clips from rallies and post them with out-of-context messages or peddle lies that Trump is a racist, a fascist, or a supremacist.

But the truth is he’s none of those awful things, and two inspiring videos prove it. Trump posted one on Truth Social Saturday morning before flying to D.C. The 90-second video highlights Trump’s life achievements, from his business career to his first presidential term and second campaign, including scenes from the July assassination attempt. Set to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” the video delivers a powerful and patriotic message.

The second is a flashback video from January 20, 2021, showing President Trump and First Lady Melania departing the White House on Joe Biden's inauguration day. With a smile, Trump assured reporters it was not the end of his journey to save America.

“We’ve had an amazing four years. We’ve accomplished a lot, we love the American people, and it has been something very special,” said Trump then. “I just want to say good-bye, but hopefully it’s not a long term good-bye. We’ll see each other again.”

Watch Here

Vance

VP Calls Out BS: In a controversial move, outgoing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris declared the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as "the law of the land," attempting to establish it as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

This declaration was made without legal authority, as the required number of states has not officially ratified the ERA. The move was intended to affirm gender equality but was met with significant pushback due to the lack of constitutional procedure.

VP-elect JD Vance publicly criticized this action on X over the weekend. He mocked the announcement by suggesting that if Biden was going to engage in "fake shit" on his way out, he might as well declare Pete Rose into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rose, famously known as "Charlie Hustle," was banned for life from the MLB for betting on games, including those of his team, the Cincinnati Reds, which he managed at the time. Vance's comment was a humorous way to showcase the absurdity of Biden's claim, equating it to an equally unlikely act of inducting Rose.

Observers argue that Biden's move was a last-ditch effort to leave a positive mark on his legacy as a symbolic gesture for gender equality, but it fell flat. The legal standing of such an amendment remains questionable, as pointed out by Vance, and will likely not become the law of the land.

Congress

Ceremony Skippers: The list of Democrat congress members skipping Trump’s inauguration today is quite expansive.

Notable Democrat representatives that will be skipping the ceremony include Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California), Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-New York), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massaschusetts).

Rep. Jasmine Crockett claimed she will not attend the inaugural events because it falls on Martin Luther King Day and will join other Democrats in their boycott, which also includes former First Lady Michelle Obama.

“The idea of celebrating someone that I consider to continuously desecrate the work and the legacy of Martin Luther King on Martin Luther King Day — it was just kind of like a double whammy and an absolute no for me,” said Crockett. “He’s never shown me anything that would be worthy of me being in attendance there instead of being with people that want to pay honor and homage to the work that was done by MLK.”

Before You Go!

Don't forget to listen to our latest podcast episode: Life After 50 Ep. 3: Surviving Cancer & the Power of Acupuncture

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Have a blessed day, and God Bless America!