Michael Smith dons a multi-thousand dollar suit and ‘Make America Great Again’ hat to honor President Trump’s Jan. 20 Inauguration. Credit: Dara Karadsheh
WASHINGTON— Spirits were high outside Capital One Arena on the morning of President Trump’s Inauguration Monday as the nation’s 47th president.
Tens of thousands flooded the streets from across the nation, with the Village People’s ‘YMCA’ and Lee Greenwood’s ‘God Bless the USA’ blaring from every street corner.
Though temperatures were chillingly low, causing President Trump to move the official Inauguration ceremony inside the Capitol Rotunda and the local Capital One arena, the American people’s excitement radiated still.
In his Inauguration speech in the Capitol Rotunda, Trump declared that the nation’s “decline” will immediately end to usher in “the golden age of America.”
Said Trump: “Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced,” he continued. “Our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous and free.”
One man with a homemade poster stood out in the crowd of supporters in the streets, shouting cheers of hope to passersby. “This is unity. This is strength. This is power. We’re power in numbers,” said Rick Eth.
The energy in Washington, D.C., was bolstered by people like Eth, whose poster portrayed Trump as an almost religious figure and pillar of hope for America.
Rick Eth spreads his message of hope and faith to thousands attending President Trump’s Inauguration on Jan. 20. Credit: Dara Karadsheh
“Within the last four years, a lot of people have been struggling to survive, to make a livable wage for groceries, for rent, and any necessities. And a lot of people lost faith.”
In the November election, AP VoteCast — a national survey of 120,000 voters nationwide — indicated that voters favored Trump in large part because of dissatisfaction over inflation, a global phenomenon coming out of the pandemic that raised prices for groceries, gasoline, cars and housing.
Eth said his poster, reading ‘believe in something,’ was his way of spreading hope and love to everyone in attendance.
“People want something to believe in. We all do. It’s what keeps us level headed. It’s what keeps us seeking God or seeking a higher power,” he said. “So now that we have Mr. Donald J. Trump in office, a lot of people feel better about going into the future.”
Eth said he feels confident in a future under Trump because of his commitment to serving the best interests of the American people.
“First and foremost, America was built off of faith. Faith in God, faith in and something greater than yourself. And, I think by showing people that, you know, I’m here and, you know, it’s worth believing in something, you know, rather than just completely losing hope,” Eth said. “It’s a good mark for our futures.”
Michael Smith, who has attended upwards of 13 Trump rallies, expressed similar sentiments that Trump’s influence will transcend American politics.
“I think this election will not only change politics in America forever, it’s going to change the world. And people then will soon realize that very, very soon, you know, the peace that’s about to come from this,” Smith said.
Smith said that Trump was truly a new hope for the American people. “We need the government to start working for the people. Before, it’s always been about their own pockets.”
Design credits: Mariaregina Mendoza
