WASHINGTON: Just in case anyone hadn't noticed,
Donald Trump let the world know that he did it his way.
The newly sworn in 45th President of the United States chose to dance (with his wife Melania) to the
Paul Anka-Frank Sinatra
hit
"My Way"
at the
traditional evening ball
that follows the inauguration ceremony.
Although the song is a curtain call finale (the opening stanza goes //And now, the end is near/And so I face the final curtain/ My friend, I'll say it clear/ I'll state my case, of which I'm certain /I've lived a life that's full I traveled each and every highway/ And more, much more than this, I did it my way) Trump chose to open his term with the song solely on the strength of his having won the election his way, disregarding most advice he was proffered during his red-blooded campaign.
Minor details, such as
Nancy Sinatra, daughter of the legendary singer, objecting to Trump using her father's hit song, or the fact that it was written by Paul Anka, a Canadian-American singer of Syrian and Lebanese origin, did not matter on a night of boastful celebration. In three short speeches at each ball, Trump bragged about how rivals and donors, even on the Republican side, were now making a beeline to him and simpering before him.
There are usually a dozen balls that accompany the inauguration of a new President, but the Trump campaign went with only three, in keeping with a modest celebration that made up for lack of numbers with enthusiasm from the faithfuls.
In fact, there was constant sniping on social media between Trump and his supporters on one side and the liberal/democratic intelligentsia on the other about the quality of entertainment and crowd size of the Inauguration. Both in terms of crowd size and star cast of performers, Obama's two inaugurations were far bigger.
But, Trump attempted to make up for it by unleashing the glamor of his family, with his striking immigrant wife Melania, and daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, stirring up fashionistas with designer ensembles that would have resonated more with the East Coast elites (of which they are a part) than the Middle America constituency that voted Trump into office.
At the Armed Services Ball, the third of the night, the First Couple danced to "I Will Always Love You." It remains to be see if their core constituency feels likewise.