Written by Steve Holland and Tim Reed

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Thousands of Donald Trump’s supporters waited for hours in the cold and rain to attend his rally on Sunday, a day before the president-elect returns to power with plans to aggressively reshape U.S. immigration and trade policy.

The Republican, 78, first laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Sunday before delivering his first major speech in Washington since his rally with supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, which preceded the storming of the U.S. Capitol. .

The “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT). Capital One (NYSE:) Arena, an indoor hockey and basketball arena and the site of some inauguration festivities on Monday after extreme cold forecasts prompted officials to cancel a planned outdoor ceremony.

The line of supporters, many wearing Trump’s trademark red jackets and MAGA hats, stretched several blocks in downtown Washington. Some chanted “USA! USA!” Others spoke over loudspeakers as they waited.

Large swaths of the city around the Capitol and the White House have been closed off with steel fences since last week, and there has been a heavy police presence throughout the area.

Trump’s rally, along with his inauguration speech on Monday, could showcase the tone he intends to adopt during his second term in the White House. In recent weeks, Trump has stunned foreign allies by thinking out loud about seizing Greenland and the Panama Canal and turning Canada into a US state.

New National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told CBS that immigration will be a target of Trump’s first executive actions after taking office, along with energy issues and policies aimed at promoting diversity, equality and inclusion.

“The American people gave them a clear mandate. Close our borders, deport the worst of the worst, and confront the gangs,” Waltz said in an interview with “Face the Nation.”

Trump’s agenda was a possible topic during breakfast with Republican senators at Blair House, the guest residence across from the White House. Top Senate Republicans John Cornyn and Sens. Susan Collins, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott and Tim Scott were among the attendees seen leaving the event on Sunday.

The rally will likely resemble the free speech that has been a staple of Trump since his first campaign for the White House in 2016.

Musk agent

The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, who has become one of Trump’s confidants since he spent more than $250 million on his campaign, is scheduled to speak at this event, along with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, and activist Governor. Charlie Kirk and conservative commentator Megyn Kelly.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is planning to attend the rally hours after Trump announced he would restore access to the app in the United States when he takes office on Monday. Trump urged companies not to let the Chinese app go out of business as the US ban takes effect on Sunday. Chiu is expected to join other tech executives at Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

Singer and rapper Kid Rock, disco group The Village People, singer Billy Ray Cyrus and singer Lee Greenwood are scheduled to perform at the march.

The White House said Biden made his last official trip as president on Sunday to Charleston, South Carolina, to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which also falls on Monday. He will attend services and speak about King’s legacy at Royal Missionary Baptist Church.

The inauguration ceremony is scheduled to take place at noon EDT (1700 GMT) on Monday, when Trump will take the presidential oath inside the Capitol’s rotunda, after cold weather prompted organizers to move the ceremony indoors. There will be approximately 25,000 law enforcement personnel on hand to provide security.