Washington, Jan 20
Donald J. Trump, who is set to be sworn in as the 45th President of the US, arrived for a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church here on Friday, in the lead up to his taking the oath of office.
The incoming President was accompanied by members of his family.
Trump and his wife Melania were greeted by the pastor at the door, the Guardian reported.
Trump's team 'wanted tanks, missile launchers' for inauguration
Donald Trumps team of advisers pushed for tanks and missile launchers to feature at his inauguration parade, sources involved in his inaugural preparations said.
A report in the Huffington Post on Thursday cited the sources as saying that Trump had endeavoured to ensure that his first day as Commander-in-Chief is marked by an unusual display of heavy military equipment.
During the preparation for Friday's transfer-of-power, a member of Trump's transition team floated the idea of including tanks and missile launchers in the inaugural parade, a source involved in inaugural planning told the Huffington Post.
"They were legit thinking Red Square/North Korea-style parade," the source said, referring to massive military parades in Moscow and Pyongyang, typically seen as an aggressive display of muscle-flexing.
The military, which traditionally works closely with the presidential inaugural committee, shot down the request, the source said.
Their reason was two-fold, according to the report. Some were concerned about the optics of having tanks and missile launchers rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue. But they also worried that the tanks, which often weigh over 100,000 pounds, would destroy the roads.
"I could absolutely see structural support being a reason (not to use tanks)," a Defense Department official said. "DC is built on a swamp to begin with."
Defense Department spokeswoman Valerie Henderson declined to comment on the request for tanks and missile launchers, referring questions to the Trump transition team.
Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn told HuffPost that the presidential inaugural committee worked closely with the military "to render appropriate honours" for Trump's swearing-in. But he directed questions about "specific aspects" of the military's support to the Defense Department.
The Pentagon didn't reject all of Trump's ideas. At the request of the President-elect, there are five military flyovers -- one for each branch of the armed services -- planned for Friday's inaugural parade, Pentagon spokesman Major Jamie Davis told HuffPost.
The Air Force plans to fly four fighter jets: An F-35, an F-16, an F-22 and an F-15E. The Navy will fly four F/A-18 combat jets. The Army will fly four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The Marines will fly four V-22 Ospreys. And the Coast Guard, which was still finalising plans, was looking at flying four MH-65 rescue helicopters, Davis said.
Stephen Kerrigan, who held top positions in outgoing President Barack Obama's first and second presidential inaugural committees, said he was "shocked" to hear about the planned flyovers for Friday.
"It seems unnecessary and the optics don't seem appropriate... It's very Red Square," he said.
Traditionally, the military plays a big role in inaugurations, but not by display of heavy weaponry. The armed forces usually contributes "musical units, colour guards, salute batteries and honour cordons," said the report.
Trump asks 50 Obama appointees to continue
US President-elect Donald Trump has asked roughly 50 senior Obama administration officials to remain in their roles in order to "ensure the continuity of government", his incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said.
Among the Obama holdovers were key national security officials, including Brett McGurk, special envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the Hill newspaper reported.
The decision came as Trump is reportedly struggling to fill important posts in his new administration.
Spicer told reporters during a briefing in Washington on Thursday that McGurk will remain at the State Department "until a replacement can be named".
"What we've ensured is that, for the time being, we've got a team in place that will continue to advise him and make sure that the country remains safe and that our priorities will be carried out," he said.
Another top Obama administration official staying on was Adam Szubin, who oversees international sanctions at the Treasury Department.
Outgoing President Barack Obama nominated Szubin as undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence in 2015, but he was never confirmed by the GOP-controlled Senate.
Szubin, who has served under Obama and Bush, has been serving in his role in an acting capacity.
A Treasury Department spokesperson said Szubin would "serve as acting secretary of the Treasury until a new secretary is confirmed and in place".
"At that point, Szubin will leave government service to pursue other endeavours," the spokesperson said.
Others remaining in government include Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Tom Shannon, National Counterterrorism Center head Nick Rasmussen and Dabney Kern, the director of the White House Military Office.
Chuck Rosenberg, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Treasury assistant secretary Kody Kinsley will also remain on board.
Prior to joining the DEA, Rosenberg served as chief of staff to FBI Director James Comey.
Trump started slowly in appointing officials to key government posts, including on his national security team.
The President-elect has filled out his entire Cabinet and many senior White House and National Security Council (NSC) roles. But of the 690 administration posts that require Senate confirmation, only 29 have been named.
That includes key staff roles at the NSC and Pentagon, raising concerns about the incoming administration's ability to handle national emergencies, such as potential terrorist attacks or catastrophic weather events, said the newspaper report.
Spicer blamed Democrats in the Senate, saying they have been slow-walking Cabinet nominees tasked with filling out many of those posts.
"Make no mistake, we are ready to go on day one," the spokesman said.
