Inaugural Balls: How the Trumps partied
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump shared their inaugural dance to “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. They were joined on stage by Vice President Pence, Karen Pence and other members of the first family. (The Washington Post)
The Inauguration Day festivities roll into the evening as the new president and first lady make their way to the three official presidential balls to greet supporters and perform their first dance.
Both the Liberty and Freedom balls take place at the Washington Convention Center. A third, the Salute To Our Armed Services Ball, takes place at the National Building Museum.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump appeared well after 9 p.m. at the Liberty Ball, where the newly-inaugurated commander-in-chief gave an off-script speech thanking supporters, reiterating he had been underestimated and repeating his campaign slogan, to “make America great again.”
The Trumps shared their first dance to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Vice President Pence and his wife, as well as the couples’ children joined them on the stage. Nine pairs in all swayed about by the song’s end.
Minutes later, they repeated the ritual at the notably more raucous Freedom Ball. There, Trump addressed the crowd, declaring “We will not be taken advantage of anymore” and even asking the audience “should I keep the Twitter going? It’s a way of bypassing dishonest media.”
After the dance, Trump pumped his fist to lead the crowd in a chant of “U.S.A!”
[President Trump and the first lady have their first dance to Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’]
That first dance is the most-watched moment of most inaugural balls, with extra emphasis on the first lady’s choice of frock (it usually ends up in the National Museum of American History). Melania Trump wore a strapless, column white Hervé Pierre dress, with a white ruffle cascading down the front.
The final ball of the evening, an invite-only affair with free tickets offered to attendees that included active duty military and veterans. It was there that the president addressed the crowd, saying, “you’re amazing people, and I like you for a lot of reasons.”
“And I also like the fact you all voted for me, right? You all voted for…