Trump arrives in Washington ahead of Jan. 20 inauguration

US President-elect Donald Trump, with his wife Melania Trump (R), dances after watching fireworks during a reception in his honor at Trump National Golf Club Washington DC in Sterling, Virginia, on January 18, 2025. Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump landed in Washington on Saturday ahead of his inauguration, with the billionaire Republican set to attend a series of events and celebrations before reclaiming the presidency.

Trump, who arrived with his wife Melania and other family members at Dulles International Airport, headed to a private event, including a fireworks show, at his golf club in Virginia outside Washington.

Earlier Saturday, Trump told NBC News that he plans to sign a record number of executive orders after being sworn in, beginning “right after” he delivers his inaugural address on Monday.

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He said the number of orders he will sign after taking office had not yet been determined but the figure will be “record-setting.”

Asked if it would exceed 100, Trump said “at least in that category.”

The president-elect is expected to sign orders undoing many of the policies advanced during President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration.

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Trump’s promises for Day 1 of his new term also include a mass deportation program.

The expulsion of undocumented migrants will “begin very, very quickly,” Trump told NBC.

“I can’t say which cities because things are evolving. And I don’t think we want to say what city. You’ll see it firsthand,” he said in the phone interview.

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Media leaks

Hardline immigration official Tom Homan, whom Trump has named his “border czar,” told The Washington Post Saturday that the incoming administration was rethinking its initial moves following media leaks.

Multiple US outlets had reported the Trump administration planned a major raid in Chicago on Tuesday.

Trump’s team “hasn’t made a decision yet,” Homan told the paper.

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“We’re looking at this leak and will make a decision based on this leak.”

Homan added that he did not know why Chicago had become the focus of media reports but that the new administration will arrest people they deem “public safety threats” from “day one.”

“We’ll be arresting people across the country, uninhibited by any prior administration guidelines,” he said.

Trump’s inauguration

Recent inaugurations have been held on the steps of the US Capitol overlooking the National Mall, but Trump announced Friday the ceremony was moving indoors because of unusually cold weather forecast to hit Washington.

“I think we made the right decision,” he told NBC. “The weather was really looking bad in terms of the coldness, and I think it would have been dangerous for a lot of people.”

Following Saturday’s private party, Trump is expected to lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery on Sunday before attending a rally of his supporters in Washington.

He is also scheduled to address a dinner event on Sunday.

Thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Washington on Saturday in protest over Trump’s policies.