After a hotly contested back-and-forth presidential election, Republican Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States during the inauguration ceremony held in Washington, D.C. Trump took the oath of office with the official swearing-in taking place on the Capitol steps.
It was an experience of a lifetime for local resident Riley Thompson. While interested in the process, it was a trip to spend time with her son, who also expressed interest in this year’s election.
“This was my first inauguration trip,” she said. “My son, Ian, myself and a family friend made the trip. We’ve followed the campaign for the last year, which my son has shown a great interest in. He was really interested in the election process and President Trump. We registered with Congressman Phil Roe, M.D., and we received three tickets to attend.”
While taking part in the festivities, the crowd was a sight to see, according to Thompson.
“The crowd was overwhelmingly large,” she said. “We were able to meet people from all over the United States … from Arkansas to Florida, and everywhere in between.”
And while there was excitement and support, a noticeable amount of protesters were also in Washington.
“There were a lot more supporters than protesters, especially where we were located,” she said. “We knew protesters were removed from the area but directly near us. We passed a few protesters on the streets but none of them said or did anything to us. The majority of the people we met and saw on the street were all supportive of President Trump.”
As the Thompsons made they were back to Carter County, Riley expressed she’s interested in attending the next inauguration.
“We would rate it at the top for our most memorable trip,” she said. “I’m already planning in my head the trip again in four years to bring my other two boys and my husband. I believe every American should experience being there in person, even if it is just once. We were honored to be able to take part in history today.”
While division controls the headlines, even after the election cycle, Riley added the crew was able to take away a key thought following the event.
“It didn’t matter what race, religion, political party … or any other to cause division … it didn’t matter,” she said. “In those few hours, we were all united as Americans and we were proud of our country. To see thousand of men and women bowing their heads in prayer was a priceless moment for me because it is all about HIM, because we are one nation under God.”