Thousands of Americans from all walks of life gathered at the Capital One Arena to witness a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the Inauguration of 47th President, Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20. This ceremony was different, however, as the swearing-in ceremonies moved inside for the first time since 1984 due to extreme weather conditions.
Supporters and spectators arrived early in the morning, some as early as 4 am to wait in a 4-hour line before the doors opened. The energy was electric, with chants and cheers breaking out every few minutes. Severe winds and cold temperatures plummeting to single digits with wind chills below zero did not dampen the crowd’s excitement.
Once security opened, a frenzy of people moved through the gates with everyone wary of security concerns with the crowd size of more than 20,000 people. When the crowd entered the arena, they were met with various symbols of American history, and ceremonies past. The crowd then moved to stands resembling that of a traditional sports game including concessions and drinks.
During the ceremony, the crowd watched the then president-elect and vice-president-elect place their hands on the Bible taking the Oath of Office pledging service to the United States people. The ceremony then moved to speeches and invocations by various politicians and leaders including; Donald J. Trump, Rev. Franklin Graham, and Judge John Roberts. Each speaker found cheers as they had their supporters among the crowd. A lot of excitement and anticipation was had for the main showcase of the day, just sworn-in President Trump spoke directly to the crowd preaching a message of unity and national pride, inciting its own cheers among the various spectators.
The people cheered and watched various high schools, law enforcement agencies, and organizations perform for the now-inside Presidential Parade. Following the parade was a series of Executive Orders being signed in a ritual usually reserved for the private offices of the Capitol and White House.
Overall, the 2025 Presidential Inauguration was a fascinating experience: from the 4-hour wait, to the excitement in the frigid cold, to the speeches from national leaders, to the signing of many of the first Executive Orders of the 47th Presidential Administration, the event was exciting.
