NEW: Elon Musk, Others to Speak at Trump Inauguration Parade
Brandon Bell/Pool via AP
Elon Musk and others will speak at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration parade on Monday, Mediaite has learned.
A fresh slate of speakers was hastily put together after Trump announced on Friday that his inauguration would be moved indoors because of dangerously cold weather.
“We will open Capital One Arena on Monday for LIVE viewing of this Historic event, and to host the Presidential Parade. I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing In,” Trump said.
Now, Trump will take the oath of office inside the Capitol Rotunda, before making his way over to the Capital One Arena where he is scheduled to speak to supporters at 3 p.m. The speakers will take the stage before Trump’s address, to keep supporters entertained in the hours between the swearing in ceremony and Trump’s speech.
Speakers will include Musk, the billionaire Trump backer who the incoming president tapped to run a non-governmental agency tasked with slashing government spending; Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee to serve as FBI director; Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of pro-Trump youth group Turning Point USA.
Musk was initially expected to speak at Trump’s rally in Washington D.C. on Sunday night, but his speech was moved to Monday.
The move of the inauguration inside means that many of the more than 200,000 supporters who got tickets to the inauguration will not be able to see Trump speak. The Capital One Arena has a capacity of 20,000.
It isn’t just a problem for supporters of the incoming president. The unexpected change has left some Trump staffers and VIPs frustrated they will not be able to witness the historic event firsthand or have as many tickets as they’d like for family and friends.
“People are really upset about the ticket fiasco,” a Trump transition team insider told Mediaite. “I keep hearing from friends and contacts that supporters who planned their trips months ago are being told they can’t get in. It’s all anyone is talking about; pure frustration and chaos.”
The swearing-in ceremony in the Rotunda will have an even smaller audience. One source said it will be limited to Trump’s family, Vice President-elect JD Vance and his family, cabinet members, and lawmakers.
