Donald Trump told thousands of roaring supporters he would impose severe limits on immigration on his first day in office, vowing to swiftly fulfill the central promise of his presidential campaign on Sunday (Jan 19) at a rally inside a packed Washington arena a day before he returns to power.
“By the time the sun sets tomorrow, the invasion of our country will have come to a halt,” he said to cheers at a “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” at the Capital One Arena.
Trump repeated his campaign pledge to launch the largest deportation effort in United States history, which would remove millions of immigrants. An operation of that scale, however, would likely take years and be very costly.
The rally resembled the free-wheeling campaign speeches that have been a Trump staple since his first White House run in 2016, with the former and future president delivering a mix of boasts, false claims, and sweeping promises to the delight of the crowd.
“This is the greatest political movement in American history, and 75 days ago, we achieved the most epic political victory our country has ever seen,” he said. “Starting tomorrow, I will act with historic speed of strength and fix every single crisis facing our country.”
The event marked his first major address in Washington since he delivered a speech on Jan 6, 2021, to his supporters that preceded the storming of the US Capitol.
Trump’s rally and his inaugural address on Monday could preview the tone he plans to adopt during his second White House term. In recent weeks, Trump has bewildered foreign allies by discussing taking over Greenland and the Panama Canal and turning Canada into a US state.
He vowed to repeal “every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration” within hours of assuming the presidency at noon ET (1am, Singapore time).
A source familiar with the planning said Trump will take more than 200 executive actions on Monday.
