WASHINGTON, United States (Reuters) — On the eve of the inauguration, Vice President-elect Mike Pence celebrated victory at an Indiana inaugural ball hosted by the Indiana Society of Washington.
Pence spoke about his trip to Washington aboard Air Force Two. “Vice President Biden and his wife Jill have been so gracious to us in this transition he actually sent Air Force Two out to Indiana to pick us up,” he said. “You might have heard that we didn’t exactly mention that our two cats and our bunny rabbit also needed a ride to Washington D.C.,” he said. “Now the Air Force detail out there said to us that had been a long time since there were some cats on Air Force One or Two, and let me say they were comfortable. An Air Force colonel down in Andrews Air Force Base said to me, ‘I’m positive there’s never been a bunny rabbit on any plane in our fleet,'” Pence said.
Some 900,000 people, both Trump backers and opponents, are expected to flood Washington for Friday’s inauguration ceremony, according to organizers’ estimates. Events include the swearing-in ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and a parade to the White House along streets thronged with spectators.
The number of planned protests and rallies this year is far above what has been typical at recent presidential inaugurations, with some 30 permits granted in Washington for anti-Trump rallies and sympathy protests planned in cities from Boston to Los Angeles, and abroad in cities including London and Sydney.