WASHINGTON (Reuters) – They came from New York and Washington, North Carolina and Southern California, New Jersey and Newcastle, and even Europe and China.
Many were long-time supporters of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, rally veterans in MAGA hats who believe fervently in his refrain that he will “Make America Great Again.” Some had never heard Trump speak before and were curious.
Some were not especially political but wanted to see history in the making. Some thought a convicted felon had no right to be in the White House and were protesting against him.
They were there to witness – albeit via a screen – the swearing-in for a second term on Monday of Trump, who has pledged to push the limits of executive power, deport millions of immigrants, secure retribution against his political enemies and transform the role of the U.S. on the world stage.
Perry Burnett, aged 56, was at his first inauguration. He was dressed in red and sporting a MAGA cap.
“All this gear I’m wearing, I couldn’t wear it in public in Southern California,” he said. His expectations were high. “My wife, the day he got elected, she booked the tickets, said, ‘we’ve got to be there for this, because this is going to change the world.'”
For Daul Williams, 61, at his fourth inauguration, it was all about the economy and inflation – an issue that polls indicate was key to Trump’s November election win and a top concern for many voters.
“I love bacon. I love bacon at $7 a pound. Right now, bacon is $13.50 a pound,” he said.
Grace Sun had traveled all the way from Shenzhen in southeastern China and hoped Trump would herald better relations between Washington and Beijing. Millie Eads, a high school teacher from Texas, wanted her students to know “that this is a beautiful country in which to live.” She had wrapped herself in a giant yellow poncho to fend off the inclement weather.
Two men giving their names only as Alex and James, dressed as Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, were old friends who had met in the U.S. capital for the event and admitted they were not really there for the politics.
“We just came to have a good time,” they said.
PORTRAIT OF A PROTEST
Not everyone was happy about the prospect of the next four years. Although anti-Trump protests were smaller than in 2017, thousands of activists held a ‘People’s March’ on Saturday and others turned out in the snow for a protest on Monday.
Cameron White, 27, from Manassas in Virginia, attended Monday’s event. He is an organizer for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, he said.
“We are not an anti-Trump protest. Trump is just a representative of a larger system. And that’s the system that we are organizing and we are trying to combat against,” said White.
Morgan Artyukhina, from Washington, said she was worried about what was coming. Like others at the protest, she said she was concerned about what Trump’s presidency will mean for immigrants, for the poor, and for LGBTQ people.
But she said she also felt a sense of solidarity from those like her who opposed his policies.
“Our message is that we are actually going to not be divided by their messages of hate. We’re going to stand united and we’re going to stand up for each other,” she said.
Like others who ventured out, Artyukhina, in boots and a bobble hat, shrugged off the cold. The ceremony was moved indoors for the first time in 40 years due to freezing temperatures.
Michael Vasquez, 58, from North Carolina, was waving an eight-foot (2.4-meter) blue-and-white “TRUMP” sign.
“The sign right here warms me up,” he said. “It warms up Americans and it warms up people all over the world.”
“We won. We’re back in. So I’m excited.”
(Reporting by Amanda Perobelli, Marko Djurica; Writing by Rosalba O’Brien; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
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