WASHINGTON • Forget the brash talk and sabre-rattling, Mr Donald Trump's inauguration next week will be all "soft sensuality", his team has promised - drawing howls of disbelief on social media.

Twitter exploded in memes and mockery following the remarks by Mr Tom Barrack, chairman of the President-elect's inaugural committee, who said on Tuesday the event in Washington would have "poetic cadence" rather than a "circus-like" coronation.

Asked whether his team - which has struggled to attract A-list entertainers - was confident of drawing enough performers to flesh out the Jan 20 event, Mr Barrack said he was "overwhelmed". "We're fortunate in that we have the greatest celebrity in the world, which is the President-elect; side by side is the current president ...," he told reporters at Trump Tower.

"So what we've done instead of trying to surround him with what people consider A-listers is, we are going to surround him with the soft sensuality of the place. It's a much more poetic cadence than having a circus-like celebration that's a coronation. The cadence of it is going to be 'let me get back to work'."

Memes going viral under the hashtag #softsensuality on Tuesday included a photo of a younger Mr Trump reclining in a bathrobe, a cringe-worthy assortment of hip-grinding 1980s music videos, and various montages of the Manhattan real estate mogul and Russian President Vladimir Putin in compromising poses.

Only a smattering of artistes backed Mr Trump's election bid and the Republican has struggled to pin down big names for next week's inauguration, with high-profile stars including Elton John turning down invitations.

Headlining the event so far are the Radio City Rockettes, 16-year- old singer Jackie Evancho, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE