How is Trump's inauguration prepared?

US President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team are rushing to prepare for the inauguration, which is expected to be the largest in history, on January 20.

US President-elect Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters

The presidential inauguration, held on January 20, is one of the most important political ceremonies, symbolizing American democracy. Therefore, the US President-elect and his campaign team are trying to take advantage of this opportunity to affirm his image and increase the support of the people, according to Figaro.

Typically, an inauguration ceremony consists of five main stages: the President-elect takes the oath of office before the people at the west gate of the Capitol building, artistic performances and the President reads the inaugural address, a luncheon at the Capitol, the President parades down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House in the afternoon, and the President and his family move to the White House on inauguration night (depending on the decision of each president).

Accordingly, factors such as the number of guests, the content of the speech, or the cost of organization, which affect the success of the ceremony, are of particular interest to Mr. Trump's assistants.

Guest

Boris Epshteyn, communications director for Mr. Trump's inaugural committee, recently confirmed that three of the four former US presidents, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, have confirmed their attendance at the inauguration. Former president George H. Bush (Bush Sr.) will be absent due to health reasons.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama, who will give a farewell speech on January 10 in Chicago, will attend with his wife, following American political tradition.

Despite the absence of many A-list stars including Elton John and Celine Dion, Mr. Trump's assistant team still invited artists who are considered to have great appeal to the American public, typically the 16-year-old "angelic" singer from America's Got Talent, Jackie Evancho, whose 5 albums are among the 20 best-selling albums in the US recently.

Additionally, The Radio City Rockettes, known for their French-style kicking, and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which performed at the inaugurations of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and both Bushes, will also be in attendance.

Mr. Trump is said to be trying to reach out to the American common people instead of focusing too much on famous artists. A few days before Christmas, the US President-elect called on his supporters to gather in large numbers in Washington to set a new record in the history of inaugurations.

"The so-called A-list celebrities, they all wanted tickets to my inauguration, but look what they did for Hillary, nothing. I want the people," Trump wrote on Twitter.

Mr Trump's aides hope that between 2 and 3 million people will be present at the National Mall to witness his inauguration.

The US Capitol building, where Mr. Trump will be sworn in and deliver his inaugural speech. Photo: International Business

Speech

As he did throughout the election campaign, Stephen Miller, senior aide to the US President-elect, was primarily responsible for preparing the speech, marking his first moment as president.

Mr. Miller, 31, was hired early by Mr. Trump and served as an adviser to Senator Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, who was nominated by Mr. Trump to be the US attorney general.

A source close to Mr. Trump said that to increase the persuasiveness and appeal of the speech, the US President-elect worked with famous historian Douglas Brinkley and longtime advisors such as Steve Bannon for advice.

During the meeting, Mr. Brinkley suggested to the US President-elect speeches by former US presidents who are considered to have had great influence on the US and the world, such as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.

Expense

At a party in mid-November 2016, US President-elect Donald Trump said that a group of his close friends, including 20 billionaires, would be responsible for contributing and raising funds to cover the cost of the grand inauguration ceremony on January 20.

Leading the group is Tom Barrack, founder of private equity firm Colony Capital and a featured speaker at the Republican National Convention in July 2016. Mr. Barrack describes Trump as one of his closest friends of 40 years.

Of the remaining 19, four are on Forbes' list of the 400 richest Americans, including Sheldon Adelson, Diane Hendricks, Phil Ruffin and Steve Wynn.

According to the New York Times, the cost of security alone for protecting Mr. Trump's inauguration was up to 100 million USD.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post predicts the total cost will be around $175-200 million, of which Mr. Trump's group of friends will spend about $75 million, the rest will come from the government budget. This is the largest expense for an inauguration in US history.

According to VNE