Donald Trump Caps Inaugural Events With Self-Congratulations for Proving Critics Wrong: ‘We Did a Really Good Job Today’
From the fist pump punctuating his formal address on the Capitol steps, to his pugnacious talk prefacing a slow-dance at black-tie balls, Donald Trump did his inauguration his way.
“Well, we did it,” Trump, 70, said, microphone in hand, before his first swaying dance with wife Melania—to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”—at the Freedom Ball, the first of his stops at Friday night’s three inaugural balls.
“We began this journey and they we, we — and they meant me — didn’t have a chance, and we won. And, today we had a great day,” the president continued. “People that weren’t so nice to me were saying that we did a really good job today. They hated to do it, but they did it. And I respect that.”
At his second inaugural ball, capping a day that his advisers promised would stress unifying a divided nation, Trump spoke of his “enemies” and promised to keep up with the sometimes crass tweeting that has been so controversial.
“I don’t know. Let me ask you: Should I keep the Twitter going or not?” Trump asked the black-tie crowd at the Liberty Ball. When they responded with a roar, Trump went on: “I think so! I think so. You know, the enemies keep saying, ‘Oh, that’s terrible.’ But you know, it’s a way to bypass dishonest media.”
“We will not be taken advantage of anymore,” he said.
The first couple slow danced to a live cover of “My Way” – famously first recorded by Sinatra – at both balls.
At the Armed Services Ball, the third and final stop, where both Trumps addressed servicemen and women via satellite hookup with a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, the first couple danced to a cover of Whitney Houston‘s “I Will Always Love You.”
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THANK YOU for another wonderful evening in Washington, D.C. TOGETHER, we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2017
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Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, who also attended all three events, joined the Trumps for their first dance. The grown children of both couples soon followed.
Another sign of the national division that was a backdrop for the long day in the nation’s capital: Savan Kotecha, the songwriter of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful,” threatened to sue after his song was played at the inaugural ball.
“They were absolutely NOT given permission to use WMYB at the inaugural ball. I will be looking into taking action,” Kotecha tweeted. “There’s nothing I can do re WMYB now, but the song was written out of love for my wife. It’s just heartbreaking that it was used to celebrated (sic) a man who stands for divisiveness,” he concluded his series of tweets.
There's nothing I can do re WMYB now, but the song was written out of love for my wife. It's just heartbreaking that it was used to …(1/2)
— Savan Kotecha (@Savan_Kotecha) January 21, 2017
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(2/2) celebrated a man who stands for divisiveness.
— Savan Kotecha (@Savan_Kotecha) January 21, 2017
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Before the soirées, the Trump family traveled from the White House by motorcade, past onlookers, some of whom waved middle fingers and shouted “F— Trump!” according to the press pool accompanying the official entourage.
