WASHINGTON — Thousands of people came to the nation’s capital this weekend, ready to party — or protest — despite the bitterly cold temperatures.
A number of progressive groups held marches around the country to protest President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, with a “People’s March” held in Washington on Saturday. It was planned by many of the same groups that organized the 2017 Women’s March, which had a far larger turnout.
Trump supporters headed into the city over the weekend in advance of the main inauguration ceremony and balls Monday, with a number of parties and a large rally at Capital One Arena. Because of the frigid weather forecast for Monday, the Trump team decided to move the swearing-in ceremony indoors, into the U.S. Capitol, forcing many supporters to adjust their plans.
Here’s a look at how Americans are gearing up for a second Trump term.
Simran Singh Jain, left, drove from North Carolina to join her organization, Sister Song, a women of color reproductive justice collective, at the protest Saturday.
“The reason why I’m here is because I don’t want to move backwards,” Jain said. “Being able to be out here and see this community gives me hope. Being able to see this and remind myself that we are the majority ... it gets me riled up in a good way.”
“A new day has come,” said Leslie Simek, right, who came from New York and was at Capitol One Arena to support Trump. "I’m very excited about the next four years. ... I really feel Donald Trump is going to unite the country for real this time, and we’re going to have new days, better days, coming forward. I’m very happy to see the borders secured. I feel the borders should be secured, and I want no tax on overtime.”
Eli Adams, a Trump supporter from the San Francisco Bay Area, said he was excited that the inauguration coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“The highlight of this weekend for me, honestly, has been that [this] has happened on Martin Luther King Day and that I’m a Black male that’s experiencing this transition of power," he said. "I would call it a Civil Rights Era 2.0, and that’s what I feel like Trump is to the African American party. He’s reimagining how we should be, our protections, our liberties and our faith in this country. And I trust him. I voted for Obama in ’08; my family has been Democrats. ... I saw how things were greatly imbalanced. And once I saw that, I saw that Trump was a voice to bring back balance.”
Bombshell Monroe, left, and Silver Ware Sidora, are from Washington, D.C., and wanted to turn out to the People's March to show solidarity with groups that may be targeted under Trump.
“When one person’s right or one group is under attack, we’re all under attack. And that’s why we’re here, fighting for ourselves, for our allies, for the other people that are under attack, as well. They deserve that solidarity and that fight,” Monroe said.
Sidora added, “We are two Black, queer, trans drag artists; we’d be stupid not to be out here, to be completely honest, because if they start knocking people over the head, we’re going to be some of the first people to go.”
On the opposite end of the political spectrum, brothers Jacob and Luke Pembroke showed up at 7:30 a.m. in hope of getting into the Trump rally at Capital One on Sunday.
“We were hoping to get in ... to see Mr. Trump, but by the looks of it I don’t think we’re going to get there, so we’re going to head out and go get some food and sit down after being out here for nine hours," Jacob said.
A coalition of liberal advocacy groups rallied at the Lincoln Memorial for the People’s March on Saturday. The groups focus on democracy, immigration, anti-militarism, climate, racial and civil rights, women’s rights, gender equality and LGBTQ rights. On Sunday, thousands gather outside the Capital One Area in hopes of attending a Trump rally.
Austin, who asked that his last name not be disclosed, came from St. Louis.
“I was here for Roe v. Wade protests back in 2022, and I love watching history," he said. "I love seeing the government in action, and I think it’s something you can only see once in your lifetime, so it’s a really fun thing. America First.”
Wendy Holt and her son, Adam, 15, who is trans, came to speak out for LGBTQ rights.
“We came to just fight for all the people who have got their rights that are going to be at stake through this administration, particularly trans rights,” Wendy Holt said.
“I’m trans, so I’m a little scared for my rights,” Adam said.
