Washington, Jan 19 (AP) Donald Trump was headed to Washington Saturday ahead of his second inauguration as president, four years after he departed the city under the shadow of an attack by his supporters on the Capitol.

Trump boarded a US military C-32 aircraft late Saturday afternoon in West Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife Melania Trump and their son Barron, on a flight dubbed Special Air Mission 47 -- a nod to Trump becoming the 47th president on Monday.

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It's a courtesy that's traditionally been extended by the outgoing administration to the incoming one. Trump did not make a government plane available to President Joe Biden ahead of his inauguration in 2021, and instead the Democrat flew to Washington on a privately chartered aircraft.

Trump's celebration of his return to power was set to get underway on Saturday evening with a fireworks showcase at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles outside Washington.

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With a blast of Arctic air expected to leave the nation's capital facing frigid temperatures on Inauguration Day, organizers were also scrambling to move inside most of Monday's outdoor events, including the swearing-in ceremony.

“I think we made the right decision. We'll be very comfortable now,” Trump told NBC News in a phone interview Saturday.

On Pennsylvania Avenue leading to the White House, crews were breaking down metal bleachers that would have been used for outdoor inauguration viewing stands.

Even before Trump got to town, groups of protesters began taking to the street in the morning as a light sleet fell.

Melody Hamoud, a Washington resident, wore a pink hat that she had on at a 2017 march to protest Trump's first inauguration.

“I just didn't want to sit home and fret in front of the TV,” she said. “I wanted to feel like our movement still has energy and be around others who felt the same.”

Timothy Wallis, 58, flew in for the inauguration from Pocatello Idaho, with friends. The group had tickets to watch the ceremony outside but haven't been able to get tickets to any of the indoor events.

“We found out on the plane,” he said about the change of plans.

Wallis said he was disappointed about the switch and a little bemused since he's used to cold at home.

“We left snow to come here,” he said. “I brought my gloves!”

Trump, a Republican, left office in 2021 as a political pariah after his refusal to accept his loss to Democrat Joe Biden led a mob to overrun the Capitol. He then broke tradition by skipping Biden's inauguration.

Biden will adhere to one of the most potent symbols of the democratic handover, welcoming Trump to the White House and joining him on the ride to the Capitol before Trump takes the oath of office.

The first time Trump was sworn into office eight years ago, the former reality TV star billionaire came in as an outsider disrupting Washington's norms, delivering a dark inaugural address as his swearing-in drew large protests and some clashes in the street.

This time, Trump told NBC, the theme of his inauguration speech would be “unity and strength, and also the word fairness.'”

As he takes power, the protests were far less noticeable, eclipsed by the ceremonies and celebrations around Trump's taking power. As one more marker of Trump's remarkable comeback, the events surrounding his inauguration will be more celebrity-studded than the last time, along with a noticeable turnout by a cadre of tech-world billionaires.

Country music stars Carrie Underwood, Billy Ray Cyrus and Jason Aldean, disco band the Village People, rapper Nelly and musician Kid Rock are all scheduled to perform at inauguration-related ceremonies and events. Actor Jon Voight and wrestler Hulk Hogan are also expected to make appearances, as are a crew of Trump-embracing business executives: Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.

While Trump holds court at his Virginia golf club on Saturday evening, Vice President-elect JD Vance will attend a reception for Cabinet members and host a dinner in Washington.

On Sunday, the eve of his inauguration, Trump is scheduled to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery before heading to a rally at Capital One Arena in Washington. The rally will be followed by a private dinner.

On Inauguration Day, Trump will start with the traditional prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church before heading to the White House for a customary tea with the outgoing president and first lady. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)