Trump arrives in Washington ahead of inaugural celebrations

US President-elect Donald Trump has landed in Washington ahead of his inauguration, with the billionaire Republican set to attend a series of events and celebrations before reclaiming the presidency.

Trump, who arrived with his wife Melania and other family members at Dulles International Airport on Saturday, headed to a private event, including a fireworks show, at his golf club in Virginia outside Washington.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump told NBC News that he plans to sign a record number of executive orders after being sworn in, beginning "right after" he delivers his inaugural address on Monday.

He said the number of orders he will sign after taking office had not yet been determined but the figure will be "record-setting."

Asked if it would exceed 100, Trump said, "At least in that category."

The president-elect is expected to sign orders undoing many of the policies advanced during President Joe Biden's outgoing administration.

Trump's promises for Day 1 of his new term also include a mass deportation program. The expulsion of undocumented migrants will "begin very, very quickly," Trump told NBC.

"I can't say which cities because things are evolving. And I don't think we want to say what city. You'll see it firsthand," he said in the phone interview.

Hardline immigration official Tom Homan, whom Trump has named his "border czar," told The Washington Post on Saturday that the incoming administration was rethinking its initial moves following media leaks.

Protest

Thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Washington on Saturday in protest over Trump's policies.

Demonstrators staged in squares around Washington ahead of the march, pounding drums and yelling chants under a slate-grey sky and in a chilly wind.

Protesters then marched to the Lincoln Memorial for a larger rally and fair, where organisations at the local, state and national level will host information tables.

They held signs with slogans including "Save America", "Against abortions? Then don't have one", and "Hate won't win."

There were brief moments of tension between protesters and Trump supporters. The march paused briefly when a man in a red Make America Great Again hat and a green camo backpack walked into a line of demonstrators at the front.

Following Saturday's private party, Trump is expected to lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery on Sunday before attending a rally of his supporters in Washington.

He is also scheduled to address a dinner event on Sunday.