Amid a heightened terrorist threat, President-elect Donald Trump is hosting a “never forgotten victory rally” for 20,000 supporters on the eve of his inauguration in Washington, D. C.

The “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” will begin at 3 p. m. at Capital One Arena on Jan. 19, and the announcement came on Jan. 1, the day of the attacks in New Orleans and the Trump Hotel, which are being investigated as terrorist incidents.

Newsweek reached out to the Trump transition for comment.

Trump has not held a rally in D.C. since he delivered a speech on the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, which proceeded the insurrection on the Capitol by his supporters. It also marks the first rally since his election victory. Prior to his 2016 Inauguration he held a “thank you tour” in several states leading up to it.

Doors will open at 11 a. m. , and people will need to register for up to two tickets, depending on phone number, for the Make America Great Again Victory Rally that begins at 3 p. m. at the Capital One Arena on Jan. 19, according to Trump’s inauguration. website.

“Join President Trump at Capital One Arena for a victory rally you’ll forget!” read the website.

The arena is the home to the National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals as well as the National Basketball Association’s Washington Wizards. It is able to hold slightly over 20,000 people.

The occasion has already been called for security reasons. Former Department of Homeland Security Director Jeh Johnson told MSNBC’s Morning Joe host Jonathan Lemire that the short timeline of the demonstration, in light of the recent attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, may represent a security problem.

The occasion will come a day before Trump takes office. On January 20, the inauguration will take place at the United States Capitol in Washington, D. C. , on the West Front, facing the National Mall and overlooking the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.

More than a dozen House Democrats have announced they will not go to Trump’s Inauguration. But President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are planning to attend, a White House spokesperson told Reuters in November. Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, also rejected Trump’s inauguration invitation.

However, flags will fly at half-mast at Trump’s inauguration. Biden ordered American flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days in honor of Jimmy Carter, the longest-serving U. S. president who died at age 100.

January 20 marks Trump’s second inauguration, as the 47th president. Ohio Senator JD Vance will be sworn in as the 50th vice president.

A new Gallup ballot released Dec. 27 shows Trump has a positive approval score heading into the new year: 51 percent of Americans approve of how he is handling his transition to power, compared with 44 percent who disapprove.

Gallup reported that Trump’s 2016 approval score was on par with his disapproval score, making the most recent ballot an improvement on most fronts for him; The main exception was that the voter noted that “every single new president since Bill Clinton had transition approval scores of at least 61 percent” with a 30-point gap in their disapproval scores.

Jeh Johnson, former director of the Department of Homeland Security, told MSNBC: “A very gigantic presidential rally presents a significant security challenge in terms of resources and manpower, so it’s not as undeniable as throwing a big party at a short period of time. ” “We want to put a lot of security in position when there is someone about to be president in this existing risk environment. “

The Congressional Joint Committee on Opening Ceremonies has made a limited number of Inauguration tickets available to the public through Members of Congress, which will be made available to the public in the weeks leading up to the occasion. Array tickets are free.

Monica is a Newsweek reporter based in Boston. Her focus is reporting on breaking news. Monica joined Newsweek in 2024. She is a graduate of Clark University, with a master’s from both Clark University and Northwestern University. She was part of the team named a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigation as well as a winner of the George Polk award for their work uncovering Phillips Respironics wrongdoings with their breathing machines. You can get in touch with Monica by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English.