By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Donald J. Trump prepared to make his historic return to the White House on Monday, taking over from a president who, for the first time, admitted publicly that he may not have been fit enough to carry on for another four-year term.
Yet Monday’s inauguration of the 47th president of the United States was due to become a mainly indoor event as weather conditions forced organizers to change plans.
Workers were seen scrambling to move the Inauguration Day ceremony inside, including the swearing-in of the president and vice president, which traditionally takes place on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, due to forecasted frigid temperatures.
It will be the first time since President Ronald Reagan took the oath of office in 1985 for his second term that the ceremony will be moved inside the U.S. Capitol, history records show.
It wasn’t all gloom and doom as Trump still marked his return to power with a celebration at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles (58 kilometers) outside Washington over the weekend.
He addressed the crowd, Trumpeting shoutouts to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and declaring his Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff a “great negotiator.”
Witkoff, this past week, helped negotiate a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that began Sunday.
CLUBHOUSE BALCONY
Soon after his remarks, Trump stepped onto a clubhouse balcony while guests gathered on the patio below him for a fireworks display and performance by tenor Christopher Macchio.
Trump made his way from West Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife, Melania Trump, and their son, Barron, aboard a U.S. military C-32 aircraft on a flight dubbed Special Air Mission
47 – a nod to Trump becoming the 47th president on Monday.
It’s a courtesy traditionally extended by the outgoing administration to the incoming one.
U.S. media quickly noticed that Trump did not make a government plane available to President Joe Biden before his inauguration in 2021; instead, the Democrat flew to Washington on a privately chartered aircraft.
It came amid Trump’s anger over the results of the 2020 presidential elections that he still does not recognize despite them being certified by the U.S. Congress.
As his motorcade neared his golf club for Saturday’s celebration, he was greeted by dozens of well-wishers who gathered along the roadside and chanted “Trump” and “USA, USA!”
ARCTIC AIR
With a blast of Arctic air expected to leave the nation’s capital facing frigid temperatures on Inauguration Day, Trump opted to move inside most of Monday’s outdoor events, including the swearing-in ceremony, saying: “We’ll be very comfortable now.”
Less comfortable was outgoing President Joe Biden, who acknowledged in an interview published this month that he might be too old to serve another four years in the White House in a candid admission about his age after repeatedly dismissing the concerns during his ill-fated re-election campaign last year.
Biden told the USA Today newspaper, “Who the hell knows? So far so good, but who knows what I’m going to be when I’m 86 years old,” when asked if he would have been healthy enough to serve another four years had he stayed in the race and beat President-elect Trump.
The president insisted, however, that he could have beaten Trump, citing polling he reviewed. It was unclear what polls he referred to, as most major national surveys consistently showed Trump leading after Biden’s disastrous June debate performance.
Last year, Biden repeatedly rejected concerns about his age, telling broadcaster ABC News in a post-debate interview, “I believe so,” when asked if he had the mental and physical capacity to serve another term. He added, “I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I did.”
Biden said during the USA Today interview that he had doubts about running in 2020 and “wasn’t looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old,” and talked to Democratic leaders about “passing the baton,” but ultimately decided he had the best chance at beating Trump.
When asked about his biggest regrets, running for re-election was not one of them. Instead, he told the paper that he wished he had done more to combat misinformation, particularly related to Trump’s criticism of the effects of immigration. He also wished he had worked more quickly to complete infrastructure projects.
It’s now up to the still energetic appearing Trump, who dismissed health concerns over his appetite for burgers and french fries, to show he is fit enough to lead America, and much of the world, through turbulent times.
At 78 years, 7 months, and 6 days old, Donald Trump is the oldest president-elect in the country’s history.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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