Trump set to take oath of office, assume presidency Friday

WASHINGTON — Shortly before noon Friday, Donald J. Trump will raise his right hand and take the oath of office, becoming the 45th president of the United States.

The 58th presidential inaugural represents a shift in power as Trump, a Republican, succeeds President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and the nation’s first African American to occupy the White House.

Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a tumultuous general election that has left the nation clearly divided. More than 60 groups have applied for permits to protest during the inauguration.

Several polls show Trump with the lowest approval rating of any incoming president in recent history. When he takes office, he will be faced with the challenge of bringing the nation together.

“President-elect Trump is committed to unifying our country as we once again celebrate the foundation of our American system and the peaceful transfer of power,” said Tom Barrack, the Presidential Inaugural Committee chairman.

“The 2017 inaugural celebrations will reflect President-elect Trump’s eagerness to get to work in order to make our country safer and stronger,” Barrack said.

The inaugural is a three-day event that began Thursday with a laying of the wreath at Arlington National Cemetery and the inaugural concert.

Trump, in brief remarks, told the audience they were part of a movement.

“There has never been a movement like this,” he said.

The inaugural ceremonies end with a national prayer on Saturday.

The inaugural theme is “Make America Great Again!” — President-elect Trump’s campaign slogan.

“We are going to make America great for everybody,” Trump told thousands who gathered Thursday at the Lincoln Memorial for a concert and a fireworks display.

After the swearing-in ceremony Friday, where the oath of office is administered, Trump will address the nation from the West Front of the Capitol.

Two Marines from Las Vegas will be participating in the inauguration: Lt. Col. John Barclay, the Marine band’s executive assistant to the director, and Master Sgt. Mark Jenkins, a euphonium player.

Jenkins will play in the band at the swearing-in ceremony, along with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Barclay and Jenkins will march in the inaugural parade.

Most of the Nevada congressional delegation will be at the inauguration. U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., will be host of a viewing party in Reno. Amodei was the chairman of the Trump campaign in Nevada.

A growing number of House Democrats plan to skip the inauguration as a protest, but none from Nevada. And no U.S. senators are taking part in the protest.

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., plans to attend and has distributed hundreds of tickets to Nevada constituents who want to see Trump take the oath of office.

Newly elected U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., who succeeds former Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, also will view the ceremony.

“She believes in a smooth transition of power, and that includes going to the inauguration,” said Rey Benitez, a Cortez Masto spokesman.

Trump defeated Clinton in one of the most divisive presidential campaigns in history. The election was clouded by Russian cyberattacks, according to U.S. intelligence chiefs, and an on-again, off-again, FBI investigation into Clinton’s use of private email servers when she served as secretary of state.

And Trump will take office as one of the most unpopular presidents in recent history, according to two public opinion polls out this week that show his approval ratings just above 40 percent.

Those low numbers are seen as a continuation of the polarization following the hard-fought election, and the public’s reaction to Trump’s behavior before he takes office, said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican political strategist.

Despite the polls, Trump is positioned for some early wins when he assumes office to push his agenda of tax reform, a rollback on federal regulations to boost the economy and the nomination of a Supreme Court justice.

Mackowiak noted that the polls were wrong when it came to predicting the national election’s outcome.

“We can make too much of public approval ratings,” Mackowiak said. “Trump won the election. Now what matters is results.”

Many of Trump’s supporters are expected to line the parade route to the White House.

Permits have been issued to groups seeking to protest, but their locations are off the parade route. Still, fliers were handed out this week asking participants to “Bring DC To A Halt!”

Law enforcement has ramped up security and is bracing for a crowd that could reach 1 million people when Trump makes his way down Pennsylvania Avenue in the inaugural parade that follows the swearing-in.

Fences and barriers have been erected and some subway stations will be closed to better regulate crowds.

Brian Ebert, Secret Service special agent in charge, said the plan creates a “buffer zone” to “defend against a number of threats.”

Law enforcement will include federal officers from the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and military. An additional 3,000 police officers and 5,000 members of the National Guard will be on hand for precaution.

Organizers say the security is similar to past inaugural events.

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or at 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.