'We're going to end the reign of a failed and corrupt political establishment in Washington, a failed administration,' says US president-elect
US President-elect Donald Trump pledged to act quickly after his swearing-in ceremony on Monday to fix problems from the outgoing Biden administration.
"That's what we're going to do, take back our country tomorrow at noon. The curtain closes on four long years of American decline and we begin a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride, bringing it all back once and for all," Trump said Sunday at a rally in Washington, D.C. on the eve of his inauguration as the 47th president of the US.
Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia before addressing the rally.
"We're going to end the reign of a failed and corrupt political establishment in Washington, a failed administration,” he added.
Trump also promised to fight for Americans for the next four years.
"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.
- Border security
Trump said his new administration will inherit "disasters" at home and abroad, including inflation, high interest rates and a "catastrophic" border crisis.
"Starting tomorrow, I will act with historic speed and strength and fix every single crisis facing our country," he said.
On border security, Trump said that in his inaugural address on Monday, he will outline border security measures which "will be the most aggressive, sweeping effort to restore our borders the world has ever seen."
"You're going to see executive orders that are going to make (you) extremely happy, lots of them…We have to set our country on the proper course," he said.
"By the time the sun sets tomorrow evening, the invasion of our borders will have come to a halt, and all the illegal border trespassers will in some form or another be on their way back home."
He also promised to remove members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua from the US, saying: "These are rough people, and they're getting the hell out of our country."
Trump stressed that the new administration will "quickly" reestablish control of the US's sovereign territory and borders.
"We will expel every single illegal alien gang member and migrant criminal operating on American soil and remove the savage gang trend from the United States," he said.
- Gaze ceasefire deal
Turning to the ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, Trump said an "epic" ceasefire agreement was reached as a first step toward lasting peace in the Middle East.
"And this agreement could only have happened as a result of our historic victory in November," he added.
The first Israeli hostages were released and Palestinians returned to their bombed-out neighborhoods on Sunday with the beginning of the ceasefire suspending Israel's genocidal Gaza war, which claimed the lives of nearly 47,000 people since Oct. 7, 2023.
"I'm glad to report that the first hostages have just been released…We've achieved more without being president than they've achieved in four years with being president," he said.
Trump also reiterated his wish to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, stop the chaos in the Middle East, and prevent World War Three from happening.
- California wildfires
Trump sent his love to everyone affected by the "terrible" wildfires raging in California and announced that he will be visiting there soon to see the damage.
"We're praying for you all. We love you all. We're going to be there very soon. I'm going to go out there on Friday to see it and to get it moving back," he said.
At least 25 people are confirmed dead as the Los Angeles wildfires continue to cause massive destruction in the US state of California, and forecasts for more heavy winds are expected to fuel the blazes in the days to come.
The two raging fires in the Eaton and Palisades areas have charred more than 40,000 acres of land, destroying over 12,300 homes, business, churches and schools.
- 'Keeping men out of women' sports'
Trump also pledged to "keep men out of women's sports."
"This will be done tomorrow. We will keep men out of women's sports. It's over,” he added.
Last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill to ban transgender students from competing in girls' sports from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The bill, known as the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, would amend Title IX -- the federal civil rights law banning sex discrimination in schools and education programs that receive government funding -- to prohibit schools from allowing transgender female athletes to participate in athletic programs or activities "designated for women or girls."
According to the bill, a person's sex shall be recognized based solely on their “reproductive biology and genetics at birth."
