Freezing rain dampens mood in Washington ahead of Trump’s inauguration – photo essay

Washington is a city on edge. Concrete barriers, unscalable steel fencing and security checkpoints dot the map. In a climate of simmering political violence, and after a divisive election campaign in which he survived two assassination attempts, Donald Trump is returning to an anxious capital where more than nine in 10 voters broke for his opponent, Kamala Harris. A city of tradition and ritual will seek to accommodate the most unconventional of presidents, bringing thousands of Trump’s supporters into direct contact with the residents who feel a sense of foreboding and dread.

Trump will take the oath of office under the magnificent dome of the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weather, upending months of meticulous planning for a massive outdoor event with crowds sprawling down the National Mall. The swearing-in was last moved indoors in 1985, when Ronald Reagan began his second term. The rotunda was one of the areas breached during the 6 January 2021 insurrection by supporters of Trump trying to block the certification of his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden.

We asked the photographer Jordan Gale to record preparations for the 60th presidential inauguration and he captured these vivid images that reflect a country poised, and polarised, between hope and fear. – David Smith

The Washington Monument in Washington DC on Thursday, 16 January 2025.

Attendees take in the scene at the People’s March in Washington DC on Saturday, 18 January 2025.

The National Guard waits outside of the Trump Victory rally.

A man on a local bus route in Washington DC on Friday, 17 January 2025.

A couple celebrates at the Georgia State Society Peace Tree Ball in Washington DC on Saturday, 18 January 2025.

An employee takes a phone call at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington DC on Friday, 17 January 2025.

Waiting at the bar during the Georgia State Society Peace Tree Ball.

A woman shields herself from the rain outside of the Trump victory rally.

Trump supporters don ponchos outside of the Trump victory rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Sunday, 19 January 2025.

A person is escorted off the property of Union State, during the Georgia State Society Peace Tree Ball in Washington DC on Saturday, 18 January 2025.

Attendees at the People’s March in Washington DC on Saturday, 18 January 2025.

The Hart Senate office building in Washington DC on Friday, 17 January 2025.

Attendees of the Maga Maha Crypto Inauguration Ball, at the MGM in National Harbor, Maryland on Sunday, 19 January 2025.

A man takes a cigarette break at the Trump victory rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Sunday, 19 January 2025.