WASHINGTON, D.C.—Huddled in groups, braving extreme cold, and bundled up in mittens and hats, supporters of President Donald Trump stared at phone screens as they watched the Republican’s second inauguration, marking a peaceful transfer of power he subverted four years earlier.
Howard, who did not provide a last name, drove 10 hours from his home in Atlanta. He described having “goosebumps” in the moments after Trump was sworn in.
“We’re just ready to see the insanity disappear,” said Howard. “And we return back to the norms that this country has been accustomed to over the centuries.”
Roughly 30 miles of fencing and over 20,000 police, National Guard, and park rangers were all stationed around the Capitol. Pedestrians on the National Mall could not get closer than 200 feet from the building, and car blockades surrounded the area. A collection of security checkpoints checked all pedestrians entering those zones.
Bruce Langlois flew in from Michigan to attend. He and many others echoed Trump, chanting and saying the “golden age of America starts today,” referring to one of Trump’s opening remarks in his inaugural speech. He hopes that along with pardoning all the “January 6ers,” Trump will end Biden era alternative energy initiatives: “They’re building solar farms all over Michigan. We get 60 sunny days a year.”
In a sweeping executive action Monday, Trump fully pardoned nearly 1,600 rioters on charges related to the events that occurred at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The sentences of those still in prison were commuted to time served.
While the crowd mainly consisted of cheerful Trump supporters, a few stood in opposition. One such man was Jim Brooks, from Atlanta, Georgia, who bought nonrefundable hotel tickets convinced that Vice President Harris, whom he voted for, would win.
Brooks decided to take the trip anyway, still wanting to see the historical event. However, upon his arrival, he was angered to see the flags on the Capitol fully risen. The flags had been lowered following a traditional 30-day mourning period for former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29..
Brooks, a veteran, was astounded by the break in tradition, “That’s what [President Trump] is; he’s all pettiness, in my opinion.”
A few blocks away, nearly 20,000 people watched the inauguration from Capital One Arena and waited for President Trump to join them. At the event later that evening, Trump signed several executive orders that pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accords for a second time, ended Covid-era remote work policies, and rescinded 78 of former President Biden’s executive orders. Some of the orders he rescinded include placing federal employees involved in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts in the government on leave and an initiative aimed at lowering the cost of certain drugs for Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Trump used his inauguration ceremonies to denounce the past administration and repeatedly spoke of the “golden age” that he says starts with him back in the White House.
“From this moment on, America’s decline is over,” he said.
