Political protest and dissent continue to escalate in the hours leading up to Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Today the United States will bear witness to the swearing in of its 45th president at the US Capitol.

Business mogul turned politician Donald Trump cuts a controversial figure as the President-elect, having fostered a sharp rift between supporting and opposing fractions.

His campaign trail featured a diverse assortment of promises and indictments which both inspired and offended.

(Courtesy of Gage Skidmore)

 

His oath to ‘make America great again’ became the soundtrack of his route to office, one that simultaneously pledged to revitalise the nation’s economy and protect the US market.

However, his unorthodox candidacy has angered critics.

In the hours preceding his inauguration detractors are protesting his ostricization of women and minority groups, free trade policies, and claims that climate change is a hoax.

Immigration, the opus of his campaign, continues to incite turmoil in his architectural aspirations of building a wall along the US-Mexico border.

Various A-listers such as Celine Dion, The Chainsmokers, Gene Simmons, and Garth Brooks, have also chosen to boycott the inauguration due to their own anti-Trump beliefs.

Celebrated human rights activists have also vociferously opted out of attending the magnate’s swearing in, especially after Trump’s criticism of US Representative John Lewis.

(Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

 

The Georgia Democrat contends that Trump’s presidency is due to Russia’s supposed hacking efforts to ensure his place in office.

Via Twitter, the President-elect shared a scathing rebuttal that called into question Congressman John Lewis’s ability to look after his Atlanta district:

Amidst lambasting from opposing parties, critics abroad prepare to let known their disregard too, albeit in a more forceful manner.

Reports claim that North Korea is “readying two intercontinental ballistic missiles” to symbolically attack Trump and his introduction to office. The chosen ICBMs are estimated to be shorter than North Korea’s traditional ones, and should be up to 15m in length.

A professor at Seoul’s Kookmin University, Andrei Lankov, informed CNN about North Korea’s previous tendencies in similar situations:

“Judging by earlier behaviour they usually like to greet a newly elected American president with some kind of nice surprise like a nuclear (test) or missile launch.”

“Because President-elect Trump tweeted that ‘it won’t happen,’ such a launch could be seen as a serious humiliation for (the US).”

After the tumult of Brexit, the world seems frozen in a fine balance of conflicting and strong emotions in the countdown to Mr. Trump’s presidency.

Nevertheless, his spirited grandstanding during his campaign proselytized a devout followership of voters. Their favour seems symptomatic of an underlying degree of anti-establishment sentiments that have seeped into the political ideals of the US.

(Courtesy of Gage Skidmore)

 

A number of his supporters were converted Democrats, who believe that previous presidential tenures failed to address issues in the healthcare system, weak job market, the utilisation of troops, and the refugee crisis.

January 20 will undoubtedly represent a culmination of disparate views and  life experiences.

The question remains as to whether the President-elect will trump the conflicting social and political expectations of his fellow Americans.