--- title: Donald Trump Promises Change, Unity on Eve of Inauguration description: Donald Trump pledged of upcoming change, promised the country would unify and praised his presidential campaign ahead of his inauguration. canonical: https://time.com/4640317/donald-trump-inauguration-concert-speech/ author: Melissa Chan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-19T23:36:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:19.308Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump Promises Change, Unity on Eve of Inauguration og:description: "We are going to make America great again. And I’ll add, greater than ever before" og:url: https://time.com/4640317/donald-trump-inauguration-concert-speech/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf692b4f47afca9a3/6988b654cd1bbaae75703ab4/donald-trump-inauguration-lincoln-memorial-family.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: donald-trump-lincoln-memorial-family-inauguration og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Promises Change, Unity on Eve of Inauguration twitter:description: "We are going to make America great again. And I’ll add, greater than ever before" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf692b4f47afca9a3/6988b654cd1bbaae75703ab4/donald-trump-inauguration-lincoln-memorial-family.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Promises Change and Unity on Eve of Inauguration > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7240c91f-376a-47c9-b181-6212b2d8d48e&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Donald Trump Runs for President: A Look Back [Watch (HLS stream): Donald Trump Runs for President: A Look Back](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dgn8DCbB.m3u8) (7:19)  _Published 2016-10-31. In one of the most shocking U.S. elections in modern political history, Donald Trump has defeated Hillary Clinton._  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Jan 19, 2017 11:36 PM UTC  President-elect Donald Trump stands with his family during the "Make America Great Again Welcome Concert" at the Lincoln Memorial, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President-elect Donald Trump stands with his family during the "Make America Great Again Welcome Concert" at the Lincoln Memorial, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Evan Vucci—AP  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Jan 19, 2017 11:36 PM UTC [President-elect Donald Trump](http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2016-donald-trump/) pledged change, promised the country would unify and praised his presidential campaign as a “movement” Thursday on the eve of his official [inauguration](http://time.com/4639340/donald-trump-inauguration-events-schedule/). Trump delivered remarks during a “Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration” [concert](http://time.com/4639381/donald-trump-mike-pence-wreath-laying-arlington-inauguration/) in Washington, D.C. after several musicians, including Three Doors Down and Toby Keith, took the stage. “So this journey began 18 months ago. I had something to do with it, but you had much more to do with it than I did,” Trump told a crowd gathered near the Lincoln Memorial. “I’m the messenger. I’m just the messenger . . . We all got tired of seeing what was happening, and we wanted change. But we wanted real change. And I look so forward to tomorrow. We’re going to see something that is going to be so amazing.”  A view of the setup at the "Voices of the People: Make America Great Again Welcome Concert" in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 19, 2017. Peter van Agtmael—Magnum Photos for TIME Trump reiterated his campaign mantra that he would “make America great again” after boasting about his unprecedented “movement” that led him to the Oval Office. “It’s a movement like we’ve never seen anywhere in the world, they say. There’s never been a movement like this, and it’s something very, very special. And we’re going to unify our country.” Trump is the first person to be elected president without having prior experience in public office. “We are going to make America great again. And I’ll add, greater than ever before,” Trump said. Earlier in the day, Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence attended a traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, which kicked off their first official inaugural events. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the U.S. on Friday. ## Transcript I am officially running Aah, yeah [ APPLAUSE ]. for President of the United States [ APPLAUSE ] and we are going to make our country great again. The American Dream is dead, but if I get elected President I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again. I was called by a major major reporter whose name I won't use. And he said to me what you've done has never been done Male 1: In the history of United States politics. And more and more people are resonating to what I'm saying. That's why I'm leading in every poll. We will have so much winning if I get elected that you may get bored with winning. I think I have to win. I'm about winning. Male 2: It's been amazing to follow and exciting because you say some shocking Things [ LAUGH ] You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slabs, and disgusting animals. Your Twitter account. Only Rosie O'Donnell Look at those hands, are they small hands? And he referred to my hands, if they're small something else must be small. I guarantee you there's no problem there, I guarantee it. I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters okay? You gotta see this guy, I don't know what I said. I don't remember. [ APPLAUSE ] Here's a guy throwing punches, nasty as hell, screaming and everything else when we're talking. I mean what can happen, and we're not allowed, you know the guards are very gently with him, he's walking out like big high fives. Smiling, laughing, like to punch him in the face. [ APPLAUSE ] USA! USA! USA! When Mexico sends their people, they're not bringing their best. They're sending drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapist. I will build a great great wall On our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. The former president of Mexico Vicente Fox, he said today, and I'm quoting him. He said, I'm not going to pay for that quote, F'ing wall. How are you going to make them pay for the wall? I will and the wall just got ten feet taller, believe me. Zero tolerance for criminal aliens, zero, zero. Now a different threat challenges the whole world. Radical Islamic Terrorism. Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shut down. Of Muslims entering the United States. Donald Trump, let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? You have sacrificed nothing, and no one [ APPLAUSE ] I think I've made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs. Built great structures. I've had tremendous success. Those are sacrifices? Sure I think they're sacrifices. [ MUSIC ] As the proud daughter of your nominee I am here to tell you this is the moment and Donald Trump is the person to make America great again. [ LAUGH ] I humbly and gratefully accept. Your nomination for the presidency of the United States. And we will make America great again. God Bless you and good night. I love you. [ Music ] Ladies and gentlemen, the Republican nominee for President, Donald J. Trump. And the Democratic nominee for President Hilary Clinton . >> You're telling the enemy everything you wanted to do . >> No we're not . >> See. you're telling the enemy everything you wanted to do . >> There are different . >> Secretary, is it President Obama's fault? Wrong >> That is absolutely Wrong . >> Prove over and over again. Wrong. I also have a much better temperament than she has, you know? If Hillary knew how she would have done it already, period, end of story. I won the debate, I stayed calm just like I promised, and it is over. Goodnight, [ INAUDIBLE ]. [ LAUGH ] I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful. I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. [ LAUGH ] Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Whatever you want. Grab them by the ****. I've said and done things I regret, and the words released today on this more than a decade old video Are one of them. This is nothing more than a distraction from the important issues we're facing today. You bragged that you have sexually assaulted women, do you understand that? No I didn't say that at all. I don't think you understood what was said. This was lock Locker room talk . >> Just breaking a damning report from the New York Times that claims Donald Trump inappropriately touched two women, the first nearly [ INAUDIBLE ] That more women now accuse Donald Trump of improper physical contact . >> The People Magazine writer who said that Donald Trump kissed her and groped her in 2005 while she was interviewing him and his then pregnant wife Melania . >> These vicious claims About me, of inappropriate conduct with women. Are totally, and absolutely false. I didn't know any of these women, I didn't see these women. And I didn't even apologize to my wife, who's sitting right here, cuz I didn't do anything. Thank you. Do you make the same commitment that you will absolutely, Sir, that you will absolutely accept the result of this election? I will look at it at the time. I'm not looking at anything now, I'll look at it at the time. And I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election. If I win. 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