Raucous MAGA rally punctuates events celebrating Trump on inauguration eve

Trump supporters filled parties at hotels and restaurants around Washington.As they moved between the festivities, some could be heard chanting MAGA or simply stating it as a greeting to fellow revellers.The atmosphere was a remarkable turnaround from four years ago, when Trump left the nations capital in disgrace and skipped the inauguration of his successor.

A raucous victory rally on Sunday highlighted US President-elect Donald Trump's first full day back in Washington since the election, as the Republican celebrated his return to the White House and projected defiant optimism despite deep national political divisions on the eve of his inauguration.

Supporters filled most of the 20,000-plus-seat Capital One Arena to hear a performance by Kid Rock, who performed ''All Summer Long'' despite a cold mix of rain and snow falling outside. Others taking the stage included billionaire Elon Musk and Lee Greenwood, whose ''God Bless the USA'' was the anthem of Trump's re-election campaign.

''Our hero. A man who never gave up on the American people, and we the people never gave up on him,'' actor Jon Voight told the crowd.

Stephen Miller, Trump's pick to be deputy chief of staff and a key architect of the administration's promised hard-line immigration polices, vowed that ''justice is coming''.

''We are about to get our country back and our democracy back,'' Miller said, adding, ''Donald J Trump is about to save this country.'' Trump, who has promised to sign a series of executive actions, including on US-Mexico border policy, was set to speak later in the evening.

Sunday gave the president-elect a chance to energise core supporters before the official pomp of Inauguration Day.

Trump had breakfast privately with Republican senators at Blair House, the president's official guest residence, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House and later posed for a picture with the 10 Republican female senators and his incoming chief-of-staff, Susie Wiles.

Unlike when Trump helped spark a mob of his supporters to attack the Capitol and tried to retain power in 2021 after his loss to Democrat Joe Biden, officials did not expect massive protests, unrest or violence.

Instead, jubilant crowds celebrated Trump's second term and MAGA's total control of the Republican Party.

Many arrived from around the country and were decked out in their fanciest clothes, including fur coats. Trump supporters filled parties at hotels and restaurants around Washington.

As they moved between the festivities, some could be heard chanting ''MAGA'' or simply stating it as a greeting to fellow revellers.

The atmosphere was a remarkable turnaround from four years ago, when Trump left the nation's capital in disgrace and skipped the inauguration of his successor.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)