Donald Trump was joined by his wife Melania for the final time as president elect on Thursday night at a black tie dinner where he spoke excitedly about his looming inauguration.
The 70-year-old was introduced to the stage at Union Station in Washington D.C. by Vice President elect Mike Pence shortly before 9pm after a busy day of events in the capital.
With Melania on his arm in a glittering, gold gown, Trump was triumphant as he took the microphone for a final speech before he becomes the 45th president.
Between thank yous to his most trusted staff and jibes at Hillary Clinton, he spoke ahead to Friday's swearing in ceremony, joking that if it rains as predicted, at least the taunts about his gravity-defying hair might stop.
'It may rain, it may not rain. I don't care. It doesn't matter. If it really pours that's OK because people will realize it's my real hair. It might be a mess but they're gonna see it's my real hair,' he said, winning laughs from the star-studded audience.
He went on to thank donors and members of his family and celebrated himself as a the hardest working candidate to have ever run for office.
The start of his speech was plagued with microphone difficulties but the president elect's message was not lost in the glitch.
'That was some big victory, some victory,' he said, thanking supporters and party members who had followed him since the start of his campaign.
Casting his mind back to November's election result, he spoke of the country's changing political map.
'That was incredible. 'More impressive, there was a map a couple of days after the election, and it showed the red counties and the blue counties. And the entire country, practically, other than the little points, was red,' Trump said
The businessman then rattled through the names of cabinet picks and deep-pocketed donors, reserving a special moment of thanks for Kellyanne Conway, his campaign manager and soon-to-be Senior Adviser.
'I see my Kellyanne, come here. Get up here. She has been so great.
'There is no den she will not go into.' After kissing the blushing strategist on the hand and cheek, he added: 'Thank you baby,' before she returned to her seat.
All of Trump's children won a mention. Tiffany, he said, is 'incredible', and Ivanka, who is primed for a key role in the recently renamed Office of the First Family, was congratulated for her hard work and choice of husband.
Joking about his close relationship with son-in-law Jared Kushner, Trump said of his 35-year-old daughter: 'We have in the audience a special person who has worked very hard, who married very well. It's my daughter Ivanka.
'I sort of stole her husband.' Kushner will take an unpaid position as Senior Adviser to the president. Details of what his job may entail have been so far scarce.
No comments:
Post a Comment