The day before President Donald Trump took the oath of office, he and his supporters celebrated his victory at a rally at Capital One Arena in D.C. on Jan. 19. Thousands traveled from across the country in support of the president.
Jill Mangione and her son, John, traveled from San Antonio, Texas to celebrate Trump’s win. The pair arrived a week prior and shared their excitement for the upcoming presidency.
“We love Trump,” John said. “Oh my gosh, he’s going to save the nation.”
This enthusiasm and anticipation brought thousands to the arena. The line to enter the rally spanned blocks and grew as the hours progressed. Many attendees were determined to gain entry into the arena, some arriving hours before the doors opened despite unpredictable and cold weather.
The arena, which seats up to 20,000, could not accommodate all the attendees, and venue staff turned away thousands of supporters. Vendors walked the line selling Trump merchandise including flags, t-shirts, socks and sweaters. As the weather worsened, more vendors sold ponchos and hand warmers.
Scott Flanagan, from Atlanta, Georgia, traveled to D.C. with his 20-year-old daughter, saying he “wanted her to see history.”
Flanagan shared his appreciation for Trump and his excitement for the next four years.
“He’s a fighter. He’s not the status quo,” Flanagan said. “Are all of his ideas awesome? No. I don’t agree with some of them and I don’t agree with his delivery. But I do agree with where he’s trying to take us.”
People from all across the country and with varying perspectives spent the day on the streets of downtown D.C., many with the hope of attending the rally and seeing Trump speak. Thousands were denied entry despite waiting in line almost the entire day, like Zach Mason.
Mason flew in from Pike County, Kentucky and arrived outside the arena at 6 a.m., but did not make it inside.
“Everybody was skipping and pushing … It was a mess,” Mason said. He was disappointed about not getting into the rally but said, “Life goes on.”
Supporters weren’t the only ones standing in the frigid weather for hours. Many counter protesters took to the streets to show their disapproval of Trump. They held up Harris-Walz signs and played music to drown out the chants from Trump supporters.
Rebekah Burks from North Carolina is concerned about the administration’s stance on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights, while Nadine Seiler from Maryland expressed her disappointment.
“I’m embarrassed to be an American because America was around the world — literally, not figuratively — literally destabilizing other countries in the name of democracy,” Seiler said.
Seiler revealed that if she could say one thing to Trump supporters, she would tell them to “wake up” and “get out of your brainwashing.”
However, supporters like Flanagan believe that Trump is what America needs right now.
“It’s been a tough four years,” he said. “I say tough relatively because we’re still in the greatest country in the world.”
This article was edited by Abigail Hatting, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella, Sabine Kanter-Huchting and Ella Rousseau.
