Trump's pre-inauguration rally begins with national anthem, prayer, performance by Kid Rock

WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump's pre-inaugural rally in Washington began with a performance of the national anthem, a prayer and a show by musician Kid Rock.

Trump fans are filling into the Capitol One Arena in Washington, where the first and second sections are largely full, other than VIP seats. Trump is scheduled to speak later.

Anuel AA and Justin Quiles, two Puerto Rican musicians, spoke in support of Trump onstage at the inauguration eve rally.

The moment stood in stark contrast to one of Trump's rallies near the end of the campaign, when a comedian opening the rally called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage".

While Trump is about to be sworn in as president, his pre-inaugural at times feels like he's still campaigning for the job.

Trump supporters are aggressively attacking outgoing President Joe Biden, defeated Vice President Kamala Harris and their fellow Democrats, using many of the same broadsides they lobbed during the campaign.

"It's been four long years," said Stephen Miller, one of Trump's top advisors who will have a senior role in the White House.

"Four years of weakness for years of humiliation and embarrassment, four years of persecution, four years of inflation, poverty incompetence. Four years of betrayal, four years of wide open, undefended, unprotected, open borders. But tomorrow at 12 pm, that's all going to end," Miller said.

Conservative commentator and podcast host Megyn Kelly called Harris "the fakest person involved on that side at the aisle".

She said Harris was a candidate "who pretended that she wasn't the border czar, who pretended that she was middle class, who pretended that she was smart".