By Emma Weidmann | Editor-in-Chief
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new era is dawning with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States, but just what it is that’s around the corner depends on who you ask.
For the thousands of MAGA faithful who trudged through the snow to show support for the president, a “golden age of America” is on the horizon. The end of the Biden years means the end of inflation, waves of illegal immigration and “wokeness” that threaten to destroy the country. Many supporters’ flags and shirts, and much of the merchandise sold by street corner vendors, urged the buyer to “save America” with Trump.
Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas’ 17th Congressional District said the inauguration was “an earth-shattering day” that was the culmination of “woke and liberal policies” and Trump’s minimal — but important — shift in popularity amongst Black and Hispanic voters who typically swing Democratic.
Trump was sworn in at noon and gave his second inaugural address shortly after. Then, he headed to the Capital One Arena to be surrounded by 20,000 of his supporters and for the indoor inaugural parade, which saw speakers including tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Now returned to the presidency, Trump and his new administration made their first moves. On stage in the arena, Trump signed multiple executive orders that covered lots of ground, such as freezing government hiring, pardoning Jan. 6 defendants and “directing the attorney general to ‘take all necessary and lawful action’ to ensure that states have enough lethal injection drugs to carry out executions,” the Associated Press reports.
He signed an order to keep TikTok functional for the next 75 days. He also declared a national emergency on the Southern border and has started the process to end birthright citizenship.
“Could you imagine Biden doing this?” Trump said from the stage. “I don’t think so.”
Trump’s supporters were in a celebratory mood despite the weather and venue changes. Virginia Beach, Va., Trump voter Ted Oroskiu said he believes Trump will lead America in the “direction we have to move in” as a country — that is, a pro-life and Christian direction.
“I’ve been a pro-lifer since high school, and I’m definitely in the minority as a physician,” Oroskiu said. “But to see this kind of support for the pro-life movement and support for humankind and life is just very enlightening.”
In the eyes of Northern Virginia native Maddie B, who declined to give her full last name, the new Trump administration spells danger for marginalized people. In front of the capitol building on Monday afternoon, Maddie stood holding a sign that read, “Protect Trans Kids.”
“I’m angry,” she said. “I did not vote for this. Half of America did not want this. So many people’s rights — most people’s rights — are going to be under attack because of this, and that’s why I’m here, to show public support for those people who feel like they now have to hide because of this administration.”
The day was a historic one regardless. Trump becomes the first U.S. president who is also a convicted felon, and the second president in history to win two nonconsecutive terms, beaten to the title only by Grover Cleveland in 1894.
2025 broke from inaugural precedent in another way. Below-freezing temperatures pushed what is traditionally a flashy and patriotic affair inside the rotunda of the capitol building for the first time in 40 years. To add to the unusualness of the events, flags continued to fly at half mast to honor the passing of Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president, last month.
Beside Maddie on the capitol grounds stood Washington, D.C. resident Grant Salgaller, whose sign read, “You can’t be ‘tough’ on crime’ and elect a felon.” Salgaller summed up his feelings about the election results and the experience of Inauguration Day with a deep groan.
“I think that the next four years under another Trump administration would see a lot of people’s rights getting taken away, and people might die from it,” Salgaller said. “And I’m worried that that’s gonna happen.”
As it turns out, thousands more had the same concerns. Protestors gathered for the People’s March — renamed from the Women’s March — on Jan. 18 at the Lincoln Memorial, just two days before the inauguration. Maddie said the crowd there beat the one she observed in front of the capitol on Monday.
Just the degree of unity behind Trump and jubilation on the behalf of the American people seems to be up for debate. According to Sessions, the country is more unified these days than it was four years ago, as evidenced by the pretty solidly red election results.
“There was this great big fight up here on Jan. 6 [2021],” Sessions said. “Well, there was no fight this time. The fight was out of them. The American people completely, overwhelmingly, like has never happened before, said ‘We don’t want Democrats and Joe Biden, we want Donald Trump,’ and that was because he was viewed by the American people as a superior alternative to that. So you can say that we’re divided. I think some people are, but not to the point like we were four years ago. There’s no fight left in these guys. They got spanked, okay?”
Despite Trump winning the popular vote, Salgaller indicated that his cause is not over yet just because of a lost election.
“I’m here because I think that there’s still a fight to be had, and regardless of who’s in the Oval Office, it’s important that those fights be fought,” Salgaller said.
