On the eve of their inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance took part in a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Sunday. The ceremony was held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a site that honors unidentified fallen American soldiers.
Following the ceremony, Trump and Vance visited another section of the cemetery, which serves as a burial site for military personnel who lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq. The pair spent nearly 30 minutes meeting with the families of soldiers killed during an ISIS suicide bomb attack at Abbey Gate outside Kabul Airport in August 2021. The attack, one of the deadliest in America’s longest war, claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians as they desperately sought to flee the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul.
At Arlington Cemetery, Diane, a Trump supporter from Houston, Texas, expressed her pride and excitement about the historic day. She said, “I am here today for the inauguration ceremonies. It is an awesome day to be an American, and I am standing in front of Arlington Cemetery. President Trump will be laying the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier shortly. I am the proudest American alive and appreciate everything he has done to get our country back on the right track.”
Other supporters echoed her sentiments. A duo from Massachusetts shared their enthusiasm, stating, “We are here to support Donald Trump. We’re excited for him to be back in office because we’re tired of putting other countries first and want to focus on Americans.”
Meanwhile, at Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) Victory Rally at Capital One Arena, a supporter distributed copies of the U.S. Constitution to attendees.
The inauguration celebrations began on January 18 with an exclusive friends-and-family event at Trump National Golf Course in Virginia. This was followed by a Victory Rally and a private candlelight dinner on January 19. The festivities will conclude on January 20 with the official swearing-in ceremony, followed by the inaugural ball.
The week-long events underscore Trump’s renewed focus on “America First” policies as he prepares to step back into office.