Thousands of MAGA fans are queuing in blistering cold weather to get inside the Inaugural Liberty Ball and celebrate Donald Trump‘s return to the White House.
Long lines have reportedly ‘broken down’ as a bottleneck creates frustration on the streets of Washington D.C, where temperatures plummeted to 19 degrees fahrenheit (-7C).
‘Totally crazy,’ one attendee said. ‘We’re now at the end of the tent… we must’ve been walking for a mile, maybe two.’
‘It just took a long time. People have approached the ball from multiple directions and there was a big bottleneck.’
Pictures show attendees rugged up in beanies and scarves as they try to keep warm while exposed to the elements.
One woman tried to cover her toes with a pair of socks placed over the top of her heels.
Others wore intricate dresses designed to look like the American flag, covered in fur coats and shawls.
On social media, one would-be attendee described waiting in ‘eight degree weather for an hour before I gave up.’
Conditions inside the tent are operating far smoother than further down the line.
One attendee estimated he was about 15 minutes from the front of the line once he made it inside the tent.
Singer-songwriter Jason Aldean is due to perform at the Liberty Ball, along with Nelly and the Village People.
President Trump is expected to appear and speak at the ball.
But Trump has made commitments to attend three separate balls tonight, prompting fears among crowds gathered outside about the schedule and making it inside in time to witness the historic moment.
Others in the queue said despite the freezing conditions, spirits were high as fans celebrated the day’s events.
While there was an unofficial schedule for today’s events, President Trump can take as long as he wants at each milestone, and as a result, he’s significantly behind the estimated schedule.
He was supposed to be arriving to the Oval Office to sign more executive orders shortly after 5pm ET. Trump arrived about 7.45pm – almost three hours later than anticipated.
The delays mean Trump will be late arriving at the trio of balls, where dressed-up supporters have been warned to anticipate long waits.
Meanwhile the President has been busy signing executive orders – as promised – for hours.
He signed an executive order beginning the process of withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization.
It was the second time in less than five years that he’s ordered the country to withdraw from the organization, despite it being a move many scientists fear could roll back decadeslong gains made in fighting infectious diseases like AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Trump also issued pardons for people charged with participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump said he was pardoning about 1,500 defendants and issuing six commutations.
The pardons fulfill Trump’s promise to release supporters who tried to help him overturn his election defeat four years ago.
‘These are the hostages,’ he said while signing the paperwork in the Oval Office.
Among the executive orders Trump signed with a flourish in front of a cheering crowd was one mandating that federal workers return to their offices five days a week.
The move followed the new president’s pledge to end the work-from-home culture that became common during the COVID-19 pandemic.
