Donald Trump and Melania Trump stepped side-to-side to 'My Way' (AFP)
Washington:
Working-class voters are credited with delivering Donald Trump his victory, but it was a high-heel-and-tuxedo crowd featuring Republican donors and a smattering of celebrities led by Caitlyn Jenner who celebrated the 45th president at the Liberty Ball in the Washington Convention Center on Friday night.
The crowd was decidedly older than the ones that boogied at Barack Obama's first inaugural balls navigated a maze of barriers and chain-link fences into the convention center. It was just a few short blocks from where protesters vandalized businesses and set fires in the street earlier in the day.
They entered a 150,000-square-foot meeting space to dine on tortellini, cheese, fruit, and red, white and blue cupcakes. The tiny paper plates and plasticware brought a blue-collar feel to the black-tie affair.
Dozens of people stood in line to have their photos taken in front of a presidential hedge and Oval Office backgrounds. Two white stages reaching the ceiling were situated at one end of the room in front of a blue carpet.
Every guest was greeted with four $5 drink tickets, all of which were needed for a single glass of champagne.
Presentation of colors by a military brass band began at 7:42 p.m., followed by the national anthem.
Though the event - on and offstage - was thin on Hollywood names, there were some notables in the crowd that attendees tried to get selfies with.
Jenner hung out in the back wearing a long, blue one-shoulder dress, surrounded by selfie seekers; Rex Ryan, the recently fired Buffalo Bills head coach, enjoyed cocktails in the VIP area with Mark Sanchez and Nick Mangold, players from his days with the New York Jets; nearby Department of Energy nominee Rick Perry enjoyed meaty appetizers.
Music wasn't the focus here; the Trumps were. There wasn't much dancing, despite the best efforts of the performers, who rattled off an array of largely Christian-focused music.
The Abundant Life choir, performing "Intentional" with Chrisette Michele and Travis Greene, tried to get crowd to bounce and sway. Michele faced criticism earlier in the week when news broke of her participation. People gave some nice applause to the Rockettes.
Then the very enthusiastic Piano Guys, who performed at Thursday's inauguration celebration concert, took the stage. Later, the band tweeted: "Our performance tonight, which combined 'Fight Song' and 'Amazing Grace' had nothing to do with Hillary Clinton or politics.
Or as someone in the crowd explained: "These are a bunch of Mormons from Utah who got like a million hits on YouTube. They all play the piano at the same time, that's their thing."
They played a medley of "Amazing Grace" and Rachel Platten's "Fight Song," which, yes, was a Clinton campaign song.
It remained mostly a cocktail party with background music as people waited for the real star.
And when he arrived, he didn't stay long.
Trump and the first lady were announced after 9 p.m. during the welcome speeches. The crowd cheered and held up their cellphones to video chat with friends and family.
"We began this journey and they said we - we and me - we didn't have a chance," Trump told the crowd. "But we knew we were going to win, and we won. And today we had a great day. 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."
Then Trump put down his mic and the first couple began awkwardly stepped side-to-side to "My Way."
When they left, so did a lot of the party.
The president and the first lady shared their first dance well after 9 p.m. at the Liberty Ball to Frank Sinatra's "My Way." Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, as well as the couples' children joined them on the stage.
Minutes later, they all repeated the ritual at the Freedom Ball, concluding with Trump leading the crowd in a chant of "U.S.A!"
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 Herve Pierre dress, with a white ruffle cascading down the front.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The crowd was decidedly older than the ones that boogied at Barack Obama's first inaugural balls navigated a maze of barriers and chain-link fences into the convention center. It was just a few short blocks from where protesters vandalized businesses and set fires in the street earlier in the day.
They entered a 150,000-square-foot meeting space to dine on tortellini, cheese, fruit, and red, white and blue cupcakes. The tiny paper plates and plasticware brought a blue-collar feel to the black-tie affair.
Dozens of people stood in line to have their photos taken in front of a presidential hedge and Oval Office backgrounds. Two white stages reaching the ceiling were situated at one end of the room in front of a blue carpet.
Every guest was greeted with four $5 drink tickets, all of which were needed for a single glass of champagne.
Presentation of colors by a military brass band began at 7:42 p.m., followed by the national anthem.
Though the event - on and offstage - was thin on Hollywood names, there were some notables in the crowd that attendees tried to get selfies with.
Jenner hung out in the back wearing a long, blue one-shoulder dress, surrounded by selfie seekers; Rex Ryan, the recently fired Buffalo Bills head coach, enjoyed cocktails in the VIP area with Mark Sanchez and Nick Mangold, players from his days with the New York Jets; nearby Department of Energy nominee Rick Perry enjoyed meaty appetizers.
Music wasn't the focus here; the Trumps were. There wasn't much dancing, despite the best efforts of the performers, who rattled off an array of largely Christian-focused music.
The Abundant Life choir, performing "Intentional" with Chrisette Michele and Travis Greene, tried to get crowd to bounce and sway. Michele faced criticism earlier in the week when news broke of her participation. People gave some nice applause to the Rockettes.
Music wasn't the focus here; the Trumps were
Or as someone in the crowd explained: "These are a bunch of Mormons from Utah who got like a million hits on YouTube. They all play the piano at the same time, that's their thing."
They played a medley of "Amazing Grace" and Rachel Platten's "Fight Song," which, yes, was a Clinton campaign song.
It remained mostly a cocktail party with background music as people waited for the real star.
And when he arrived, he didn't stay long.
Trump and the first lady were announced after 9 p.m. during the welcome speeches. The crowd cheered and held up their cellphones to video chat with friends and family.
"We began this journey and they said we - we and me - we didn't have a chance," Trump told the crowd. "But we knew we were going to win, and we won. And today we had a great day. 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."
Then Trump put down his mic and the first couple began awkwardly stepped side-to-side to "My Way."
Cheered on by thousands, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump had their first dance
The president and the first lady shared their first dance well after 9 p.m. at the Liberty Ball to Frank Sinatra's "My Way." Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, as well as the couples' children joined them on the stage.
Minutes later, they all repeated the ritual at the Freedom Ball, concluding with Trump leading the crowd in a chant of "U.S.A!"
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 Herve Pierre dress, with a white ruffle cascading down the front.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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