Trump’s inauguration ball was a night to remember

After a packed first day in office, starting with an indoors swearing-in ceremony followed by a celebration at Capitol One Arena — where Trump signed executive orders to the cheers of thousands — the most involved in MAGA world tidied up for a first dance.

With the doors of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center opening at 5:30 p.m., ecstatic supporters of the president filled the surrounding icy sidewalks in their fanciest attire. At around 4:30 p.m., after I delivered a tux to a friend stuck at the Marriott Marquis, I witnessed a parade of trucks playing “Macho Man” followed by a moped-riding man in a full Elmo costume. It was shaping up to be a memorable night. 

Three simultaneous balls were to be held: the Liberty Ball, the largest of the three, attended by friends of the campaign and media personalities; the Commander-in-Chief Ball, geared toward military service members; and the Starlight Ball, a more intimate gathering, attended by the likes of Vince Vaughn, Caitlyn Jenner and Javier Milei.

After sunset, the line to get into the convention center got long — so long that we snaked through the buildings of Massachusetts Avenue for almost an hour and a half. And it was freezing cold — making yesterday the coldest inauguration in forty years. Eventually, after spotting TikTok star Bryce Hall and streamer Sneako in the line, we made it into the Liberty Ball. 

As we descended into the star-lit room, we were first greeted by screens of President Trump doing his iconic dance. Folks would record themselves slowly punching the air in front of it. But that wasn’t the most-loved attraction. At the other end of the room, there were four photobooths; “A Year in the Life of Trump” the lineup was called. The first one allowed you to take your own mug shot next to the president’s famous mug shot. The next one had a cutout of Trump waving from a McDonald’s drive-thru. The next two included a podium and a resolute desk. 

There was no scarcity of free finger foods — the wontons beat the rest. But drinks-wise, the alcohol had to be paid for. A bummer for some, but an understandable move, considering that the event was huge. 

One of the funniest moments of the night was when the speakers announced that a Grammy-award-winning star would take the stage. As “Old Town Road” started playing, a younger lady behind me exclaimed, “No way, Lil Nas X?”

No, the man was Billy Ray Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana’s dad for the zoomers. “Is anybody awake?” Cyrus asked before turning to the back of the stage. “Y’all want me to sing more or you want me to just get the hell off the stage?” At the moment, it felt like odd crowd work. The next day, though, it made more sense. His guitar had apparently stopped working and he was mad. 

Some favorites last night included Mary Millben’s moving interpretation of our national anthem, as well as the Village People’s “YMCA,” which Trump later commended for its recent success in the charts. Same goes to Jason Aldean, singer of the controversial “Try That in a Small Town,” who thanked Trump for standing by him when accusations of racism were leveled at him. 

One of the biggest headliners of the night was rapper Nelly, singer of, among other things, “Hot in Herre.” Though his performance was electric, what the cameras might not have caught is that the room had lost more than half of its guests by the time he appeared. The same thing happened to the amazing performance of live painter Vanessa Horabuena, who did a terrific portrait of the president.

Attendees were interested in one thing, and that was seeing their president. After watching a tuxedo-wearing Trump slow dance with his elegant wife Melania, who wore a strapless white gown with a geometric black trim, alongside some of his family members and Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha, not even a Michael Jackson performance would have meant much to attendees.

Guests at the gala included Juanita Broadrick, one of the women who accused former president Bill Clinton of rape; Christopher Machio, who performed the national anthem at the swearing-in ceremony; and MAGA mastermind and director for policy planning at the State Department, Michael Anton. 

Radio duo Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, former Daily Wire host Brett Cooper, Fox News host Jesse Waters, Vivek Ramaswamy-impersonator Chelly, tuxedo-ripping Hulk Hogan, Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon, internet personality Laura Loomer and Trump mega fan “Brick Suit” were also in attendance.