WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump welcomed supporters to inaugural festivities at the Make America Great Again welcome concert Thursday afternoon, Jan. 20. The festivities centered around themes of unity that speakers emphasized and reflections on the campaign.
The concert began at 4 p.m. and continued until shortly after 6 p.m. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight made an appearance, introducing Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Sam Moore, who sang his own rendition of “America the Beautiful.” Lee Greenwood also performed with the Frontmen of Country, singing “Proud to Be an American.” Rock band Three Doors Down took the stage too, opening with their song entitled “Broken,” including the refrain, “This is a call to the broken/We’re gonna do this our way/This is a call to the broken/Stand up and take back your world today.” Country singer Toby Keith was the last to perform, with songs like “American Soldier” and “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.”
Amid crowds thick with Trump's iconic red "Make American Great Again" hats and Trump banners, excited supporters chanted "USA" and "Trump."
The Washington Post estimated that crowds for President Barack Obama's 2009 inaugural crowd drew 400,000. The Independent estimates the number for Trump's inaugural concert at only around 10,000.
Tom Barrack, Chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, told the crowds that President-Elect Donald J. Trump wanted the Welcome Concert to be an event for “you.”
Barrack described the Welcome Concert as an opportunity to “put the campaigns behind us, to unite behind one man, one America.”
Trump continued to emphasize the theme of unity when he spoke for a few minutes at the end of the concert: “We’re going to make America great again — for everybody. That includes the inner cities, that includes everybody.”
He also touched on a few of the priorities that were at the forefront of his campaign: bringing jobs back, building up the nation’s military, and strengthening borders.
“What we’ve done is so special,” Trump shared with supporters, who greeted the speech with cheers. “All over the world they’re talking about it.”
The event culminated in a fireworks display, displayed from behind the Lincoln Memorial. To the crowd's excitement, one of the last explosions featured a red, white, and blue “USA.”
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