A day ahead of his inauguration as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump arrived in Washington today, leaving New York City that has been his home and bears the real estate tycoon's imprints.
The Republican billionaire, who enters the White House with the promise of transforming US politics over the next four years, began his day with tweeting: "The journey begins and I will be working and fighting very hard to make it a great journey for the American people. I have no doubt that we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
Earlier, 70-year-old Trump and his family left New York City for Washington, this time not flying in his private plane that bears his name but in a military jet headed to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland near the nation's capital.
Trump's plane touched down at the Andrews air base around 12:08 (local time) in the afternoon.
Trump's family, including his daughter Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner, his sons Don and Eric, their wives and young children descended the military plane first.
Trump and his wife Melania were greeted by senior military officials as they left the aircraft and got into a heavily secured motor car. The motorcade waited at the tarmac for a few minutes before leaving the air base.
Trump's motorcade will undertake the 20 minute drive from the air force base into Washington DC. Trump will stay at the Blair House, the official Guest House of the President of the US.
Joined by his family, Trump will take the oath of office as the leader of the world's most powerful nation tomorrow as hundreds of thousands of people descend on Washington to both support and protest his inauguration.
Trump's swearing-in tomorrow noon, a date and hour set by the US Constitution, will be attended by his unsuccessful Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton, three former presidents and numerous other dignitaries.
The Republican billionaire has no previous political or military experience and has never held a public office before.
Following his election last November, his advisers had
hinted that Trump could split his time between the White House and New York City, returning to his Trump Tower in Manhattan for the weekends.
His wife Melania, however, will stay on in New York with their 10-year-old son Barron as he finishes his school year in the city.
Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Kushner will move to Washington with their children, as Kushner takes the role of senior adviser to the President.
The 35-year-old businessman-turned-political strategist played a key part in his father-in-law's presidential campaign.
Ivanka, touted to be the most powerful First Daughter, has said she plans to take time to settle her three young children into their new home and schools in Washington.
"When my father takes office as the 45th President of the United States of America, I will take a formal leave of absence from The Trump Organisation and my eponymous apparel and accessories brand," she had said. "I will no longer be involved with the management or operations of either company."
Just hours before Trump departed New York City, for the final time as a private citizen, he took to Twitter to quote a American Christian evangelist Reverend Franklin Graham to say he is not the one to have divided the country and pledged to work hard for the American people.
"'It wasn't Donald Trump that divided this country, this country has been divided for a long time!' Stated today by Reverend Franklin Graham," Trump tweeted quoting the evangelist and missionary.
After taking over from outgoing US President Barack Obama, Trump is widely expected to sign a number of decrees on Friday and then on Monday, on issues ranging from immigration, Obamacare to environment.
Sources close to Trump said that his inauguration speech will last about 20 minutes, the same as Obama's first inaugural in 2009.
