Donald Trump will be sworn in for a second term as US president, and his inauguration will be moved indoors due to the inclement weather.
Apparently stronger and more unpredictable than ever, the Republican will be inaugurated at the US Capitol, after which he will return in triumph to the White House he left four years earlier.
For Trump, 78, it will be the end of a remarkable journey during which he survived an assassination attempt and scored a historic victory over Kamala Harris.
The expected frigid weather will deprive Trump of the icing on the cake - the traditional ceremony on the steps of the Capitol before a large audience.
Instead, the billionaire will take the oath of office and deliver his inaugural speech in the domed Rotunda, the first time since Republican icon Ronald Reagan in 1985.
Trump's inauguration parade will then be held at a sports arena in Washington, D.C. - the same venue where Trump staged the "Make America Great" victory rally on Jan. 19.
The rally will feature the world's richest man, Elon Musk. The Village People, the band behind Trump's iconic song "Y.M.C.A.," will perform.
"Golden Century"
America and the world will be watching Trump's inaugural speech to see how he sets the tone for a presidency that many believe is unpredictable.
Since the election, Trump has made "golden age" promises and vows of revenge against his enemies - coupled with territorial threats against Greenland and Panama and plans for sweeping tariffs.
The official photo of Trump as the 47th president of the United States - and the first convicted - bears a striking resemblance to a 2023 photo taken in another criminal case.
The president is also expected to quickly issue executive orders on key issues, including migration, and pardon some of the rioters who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The guest list for Trump's inauguration highlights how the man whose 2016 victory shocked the world has now become the "new normal" for American politics.
Musk and fellow billionaires Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Mark Zuckerberg of Meta will be in attendance, underscoring the tech moguls' efforts to court Trump.
Outgoing president Biden, 82, warned of a dangerous "oligarchy" in Trump's entourage as he delivered a somber farewell speech from the Oval Office.
On his last day in office, Biden will visit a church and museum in Charleston, South Carolina, while Trump is at a rally in Washington.
Star guests
In 2017, many celebrities declined to attend Trump's inauguration. This time, country star Carrie Underwood will sing "America the Beautiful" at the ceremony.
At the MAGA rally, Trump is likely to return to his favorite part of politics - speeches that fire up his huge mass of supporters.
The contrast couldn't be greater with Trump's first swearing-in, which was overshadowed by a scandal about crowd size on the National Mall initiated by his spokesman.
Things were very different four years ago as well.
Trump left the White House in disgrace after riots on Capitol Hill by protesters supporting his unproven claims that he had defeated Biden in the 2020 election, while Biden himself promised to fix America after Trump.
Written off by many, Trump still managed to capitalize on voter frustration with Biden's age, the state of the economy, and the record number of illegal migrants to win the victory.
Trump will supplant Biden as the oldest person in US history to be sworn in as president. Now he will have to deliver results.
A CNN poll showed he will enter the White House with higher approval ratings than his previous term. | BGNES, AFP
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