Donald Trump at the gate, Barack Obama bids good luck

The changing of the guard is under way as hundreds of thousands of Donald Trump supporters descend on Washington.

Tourists at the Washington Monument yesterday.

The changing of the guard in Washington is under way as hundreds of thousands of Donald Trump supporters descend on the US capital ahead of tomorrow’s presidential inauguration.

Trump supporters wearing “Make America Great” caps and jumpers pose for photos outside the White House as locals from this staunchly Democrat capital, where only 4 per cent cast voted for Trump, watch on blankly.

The city is festooned with American flags, nowhere more thickly than along Pennsylvania Avenue, where Trump and his wife, Melania, will take their historic walk to the White House after he is sworn in.

While Trump wrote his inauguration speech, Barack Obama gave his last press conference at the White House yesterday, where he assured Americans: “At my core, I think we’re going to be OK.”

Inauguration guide

His final message was optimistic yet laced with implicit barbs for his successor on issues such as press freedom, tolerance, inter­national affairs and immigration.

Even so, Mr Obama said Mr Trump should be given space to implement his agenda, much of which aims to demolish his legacy. “It is appropriate for him to go forward with his vision and his values, and I don’t expect that there is going to be enormous overlap,” Mr Obama said.

Mr Trump tweeted he had written the first draft of his inauguration speech from his mansion in Florida. “Writing my inaugural address at the Winter White House, Mar-a-Lago, three weeks ago — Looking forward to Friday (US time),” he said, adding a picture of him holding a pen and notepad alongside a statue of a bald eagle. The inauguration is tipped to be more low-key than others, with Mr Trump expected to ­attend only three of the 10 grand balls in Washington. The Trump camp has deflected criticism about the lack of celebrities willing to perform at the ceremony, claiming they don’t want a star-studded ­affair like the Obama and Clinton inaugurations and they had the “greatest celebrity in the world” in the president-elect.

About 800,000 spectators are expected, below the 1.8 million who attended the 2009 Obama inauguration. Among them will be 28,000 security personnel. More than 50 house Democrats have refused to attend, a move welcomed by Mr Trump, who said he could give their seats to others.

Mr Obama, who will fly to Palm Springs in California for a family holiday after the inauguration, said yesterday he would not remain silent if Mr Trump’s actions breached America’s “core values”.

In an implicit criticism of Mr Trump’s hostile relationship with the media, Mr Obama praised the press scrutiny of his presidency, saying: “America needs you and our democracy needs you. You’re not supposed to be sycophants, you’re supposed to be sceptics.”

Invite list

He also defended his decision to free Chelsea Manning after only seven years of her 35-year sentence for espionage: “It made sense to commute and not pardon her sentence … I feel very comfortable justice has been served and a message has been sent.”

Then the outgoing president, who leaves with an approval rating of 56 per cent, bade farewell to the White House press corps, wishing them “good luck” rather than goodbye.