WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence kicked off the first full day of the Trump administration Saturday with one last bit of ceremony before turning their full attention toward leading their new government.
The first and second families attended at an interfaith prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, where leaders from more than two dozen faiths delivered hymns, readings, prayers in a ritual that stretches back to the presidency of George Washington.
Trump sat quietly in first pew with his wife Melania and the Pences for the hour-long ceremony. He did not deliver any remarks.
Several of Trump’s Cabinet nominees were in attendance, including Georgia U.S. Rep. Tom Price. Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was also there, according to Trump’s inaugural committee.
The event, held at the famous Episcopal church and gathering place in a leafy corner of Northwest D.C., came as tens of thousands of protesters descended on the National Mall to voice their opposition to Trump's policies.
Later on Saturday, Trump plans to visit the CIA’s headquarters in Northern Virginia to meet with more than 300 officials. The gathering comes shortly after he tangled with the intelligence community over their assessment of Russia’s involvement in his electoral win.
The prayer service capped off a jam-packed 24 hours in which Trump was sworn in as president, signed a handful of executive orders, saw his first two Cabinet members sworn in and attended three inaugural galas held in his honor.
Follow along with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s inauguration coverage on the Political Insider blog and at ajc.com.
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