San Francisco Frontiers - Trump readies for triumphant, but icy, inauguration

Apparently stronger and more unpredictable than ever, the Republican will be inaugurated at the US Capitol before making a triumphant return to the White House that he left in disgrace four years earlier.

For the 78-year-old Trump it will cap a remarkable journey that saw him defy two assassination attempts and a historic criminal conviction to seize back the presidency from Joe Biden.

But expected freezing weather will deprive the image-conscious Trump of the icing on the cake -- the traditional ceremony on the steps of the Capitol in front of a large crowd.

The billionaire will instead be sworn in and give his inaugural address in the domed Rotunda, for the first time since Republican icon Ronald Reagan in 1985.

Trump's inaugural parade will then be held at a sports arena in Washington -- the same venue where Trump is hosting a star-studded "Make America Great Victory Rally" on Sunday.

The rally on the eve of the inauguration will reportedly feature the world's richest man Elon Musk, while the Village People, the band behind his signature song "Y.M.C.A.", have confirmed they will perform.

- 'Golden age' -

America and the world will be watching Trump's inaugural speech to see how he sets the tone for a presidency that many expect to be even more volatile than his first.

Since the election that tone has veered between promises of a "golden age" and vows of vengeance against his enemies -- coupled with outlandish territorial threats against Greenland and Panama and promises of sweeping tariffs.

Trump's official photo as the 47th US president -- and the first to be a felon -- even bears a striking resemblance to a viral 2023 mugshot taken in another criminal case.

He is also expected to quickly issue executive orders on key topics including migration, and to pardon some of the pro-Trump rioters who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

But the guest list for Trump's inauguration underscores how the man whose 2016 victory shocked the world has now become the new normal for American politics.

Musk and fellow billionaires Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Mark Zuckerberg of Meta will all reportedly attend, highlighting the tech moguls' efforts to court Trump.

Outgoing president Biden, 82, warned of a dangerous "oligarchy" around the top of Trump's government in a dark farewell speech from the Oval Office on Wednesday.

On his final full day in office on Sunday, the Democrat is set to visit a Black church and museum in Charleston in South Carolina while Trump is rallying in Washington.

- Star guests -

Where many celebrities shunned Trump's inauguration in 2017, this time country star Carrie Underwood will sing "America the Beautiful" during the inauguration.

And his MAGA rally on Sunday will see Trump return to arguably his favorite part of politics -- the campaigning where he fired up huge crowds with grievance-filled speeches.

Overall the contrast could not be bigger with Trump's first swearing-in, which was largely overshadowed a row over the size of the crowd on the National Mall, initiated by his spokesman.

Things were very different four years ago too.

Trump left the White House in disgrace after the Capitol riots by protesters supporting his false claims to have beaten Biden in the 2020 election, while Biden pledged to heal post-Trump America.

Written off by many, Trump nevertheless succeeded in capitalizing on voter frustration with Biden's age, the state of the economy and record numbers of illegal migrants to secure his comeback.

The challenge now is for Trump -- who will supersede Biden as the oldest person in US history to be sworn in as president -- to deliver.

He will enter the White House with higher ratings than his last term, according to a CNN poll, but must hope the US economy stays positive.

Z.Sanchez--SFF