Even Mother Nature has read the script.
The icy chill that’s driven this inauguration indoors is entirely in keeping with the element of extraordinary that is Donald Trump, his second presidency and everything it portends.
It’s an occasion that belongs to all of us. American or not, there are consequences far beyond the Capitol, the ceremony and the second coming of an “America First” president.
Already, Mr Trump is solemnly sworn to sweeping change – in the United States itself and in the way the country interacts with the world at large.
From house prices to global peace, we all have a stake in Donald Trump 2.0.
The theatre of inauguration day heralds the opening act in a presidency with a different cast and choreography.
Not this time is Mr Trump the “rookie”, constrained by a Washington establishment and undermined by its machinations.
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Second time around, experience has shaped his personnel choices based on commitment to the cause. Mr Trump demands and commands a loyalty that runs through Republican politics – he will count on it steamrolling his agenda.
His opponents scream chaos and instability, of a convicted crook whose erratic nature and self-interest will reduce America and endanger the world.
They howled the same warning during the election campaign and it didn’t land then.
As much as they wanted to frame a vote for Mr Trump as an act of shame, enough people were prepared to tolerate the man because his message chimed with voting priorities.
The Trump-era has changed the way America does politics.
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In office and out, he has obliterated political norms and so altered the perceptions of US voters – now less pedestrian, less traditional, in their expectations of politicians and presidents.
In such an environment, Mr Trump had space to dismiss his various legal cases as weaponised justice, while pitching a political offer that America was ready to hear.
It resonated widely – profitably, in the tech world. If Mr Trump was toxic in Silicon Valley four years ago, the computer says “yes” now.
The spectacle of the “tech bros” – Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos et al – queuing to kiss the ring is a modern-day tale of power, influence and the recognition of where it now lies.
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A watching world sees changes in the rules of engagement – a superpower less predictable, more introspective and prepared to threaten and bully allies and adversaries alike.
How to read Mr Trump is the difficulty for DC diplomats reporting back to base, to capitals assessing signals of a shift in the world order. In forming a view, risk is easier seen than reward.
Inauguration day starts the clock on delivery of what Mr Trump calls a new “golden age” for America. He has everyone’s attention.
