“In years’ past, some of the acts are similar in a lot of ways,” Amesti said. “But this year, a lot of the show from what I have seen is widespread, featuring a lot of diversity.”

Hope for the administration and faith in Trump himself compelled thousands to stand shivering in hail, rain and snow, some even beginning to queue at 5 a.m. Across Sunday and Monday, temperatures reached the lower 30s at their highest and on Monday, temperatures dropped to 23 degrees during the day with a windchill that made it feel 10 degrees cooler. Regardless, supporters huddled up in the streets, at watch parties and — if they were lucky — in Capital One Arena to watch the ceremonies.

It matters very little if you like Hegseth’s politics or you don’t. We should all be able to recognize that a seasoned military leader with senior experience is desperately needed. Rhetoric isn’t enough. Words alone don’t win wars. Leadership qualities, knowledge of military tactics and a high level of experience do. As it stands, Hegseth hasn’t shown that he has any of these traits, and defense secretary is too important a position to roll the dice on an outside hire.

Our society forces everything from political figures and media companies into one of two political categories. It’s become an unstoppable battle that should never have begun.