WASHINGTON—Ready for his big moment, Donald Trump swept into Washington on a military jet Thursday for three days of inaugural festivities and quickly set about building better ties to the Republican Congress. Washington braced for an onslaught of crowds and demonstrators—with all the attendant hoopla and hand-wringing.
Trump began taking on more trappings of the presidency, giving a salute to the Air Force officer who welcomed him as he stepped off a U.S. jet with wife Melania at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington. Later, he placed a ceremonial wreath at Arlington National Cemetery.
His first stop was a luncheon in a ballroom at his own hotel, where he gave a shout-out to GOP congressional leaders, declaring: “I just want to let the world know we’re doing very well together.” House Speaker Paul Ryan, he said, will finally have someone to sign legislation into law. Then Trump went for uncharted territory to boast his Cabinet selections had “by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever.”
