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 50km outside Washington.
He arrived in Washington as organisers of Monday's Inauguration Day ceremony were scrambling to move inside most of the outdoor events, including the swearing-in ceremony that traditionally takes place on the steps of the US Capitol, due to forecasted frigid temperatures.
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th US president inside the US Capitol due to the weather. (AP PHOTO)
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 US Capitol.
Trump boarded a US military C-32 aircraft late Saturday afternoon in West Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife Melania and their son Barron, on a flight dubbed Special Air Mission 47 — a nod to Trump becoming the 47th president on Monday.
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.
With a blast of Arctic air expected to leave the nation's capital facing frigid temperatures on Inauguration Day, organisers 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 on Saturday.
Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and family have returned to Washington for the inauguration. (AP PHOTO)
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.
Trump said he was preparing to roll out a series of executive orders in the first days of his administration.
He confirmed he'll "most likely" grant an extension that might allow TikTok to keep operating in the US beyond Sunday, when a law that prohibits mobile app stores and internet hosting services from distributing TikTok to US users takes effect.
And Trump in the NBC News interview confirmed that his administration would begin its effort "very early, very quickly" on following through on a campaign promise of mass deportations of migrants living in the US without legal permission.
Federal immigration officers are expected to initially target more than 300 people in the Chicago area with histories of egregious, violent crimes after Trump takes office, according to an official familiar with the planning.
"Well, it's got to happen, and if it doesn't happen, we're not going to have a country any longer," said Trump, who declined to say where the deportation operations would begin.
Demonstrators have braved freezing conditions to protest Donald Trump's incoming administration. (AP PHOTO)
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 he delivered a dark inaugural address but this time, Trump told NBC, the theme of his inauguration speech would be "unity and strength, and also the word 'fairness.'"
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.
The planned traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue has morphed into an indoor event because of the cold, before a trio of glitzy balls in the evening.
