Preparations for the 2025 Presidential Inauguration Parade are in full swing in Washington, D.C., with traffic disruptions expected as a result. In the meantime, President-elect Donald Trump has raised a record $170 million for the upcoming event.
The countdown to the inauguration is now down to just 8 days. Although the inauguration is fast approaching, planning for the celebration began months ago, even before the election results were known.
On Wednesday, a group called the Joint Task Force National Capital Region held practice drills, showing the military support for Trump’s second inauguration. Today, several streets were closed, and a stand-in was used to ensure everything goes smoothly on the big day.
Meanwhile, two people were arrested near Vice President Kamala Harris’ Los Angeles home in connection with looting that followed a deadly wildfire. In a separate matter, Trump has made headlines for “getting aggressive” during a phone call about a hush money case while staying at his luxury Palm Beach resort.
A dress rehearsal for the inauguration was also held at the U.S. Capitol. Maj. Steve Sorrells, the chief of National Events Training and Exercises, will give the opening remarks at the inauguration.
For the first time, the certification of electoral votes has been marked as a National Special Security Event, which will bring extra support from both the federal government and local authorities.
In addition, sources say that Trump’s inauguration committee is expected to raise more than $200 million by the time the campaign ends. However, the committee has not yet shared how it plans to spend the funds.
Typically, the donations raised for an inauguration cover the costs of the ceremony, such as expenses related to the oath of office. Some of the leftover money from the inauguration could be used to fund a future Trump presidential library.
The amount of money raised for Trump’s inauguration is more than double the $62 million raised by President Joe Biden for his inauguration four years ago. Trump’s first inauguration in 2016 also broke records, raising nearly $107 million. Since Trump’s win and the Republicans’ control of Congress, major donors, including tech companies, have been making large contributions to strengthen their ties with the new president.
Amazon, Meta (Facebook and Instagram’s parent company), and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are among those who have pledged $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund.
