On Jan. 20, the 60th United States Presidential Inauguration took place, and Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. Known as a historic event, millions of Americans watched the ceremony in-person in Washington D.C., and at home. Understanding the significance of Trump’s inauguration also involves diving into the 2024 U.S. election, which both parties viewed as one of the most consequential in our modern history.
The presidential election was a knockdown battle to the bitter end, and Democrats and Republicans tried to energize their supporters and get them out to vote.
On November 5th (Election Day), millions of voters nationwide made their voices heard at the polls. Later that evening, as polling places closed and the results began to be counted, the projected winners of most states were called within hours. As the night progressed, it became apparent that Trump had a greater chance of winning the presidency. Trump even gave a speech at his campaign watch party at Mar-a-Lago after Fox News pre-emtively declared him the winner. Then, in the early morning of November 6th, Trump was officially declared the winner of Wisconsin, securing the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidential race.
Many in the media described Trump’s victory as one of the greatest political comebacks in recent U.S. history, a “Red Wave”. After the dust settled and the results were certified on January 6th, Trump officially earned 77.3 million votes (49.9%), while Harris won a little over 75.1 million (48.4%) votes. All seven swing states (Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, and North Carolina) went in Trump’s favor, and he accumulated 312 electoral votes compared to the 226 for Harris. Trump was the first Republican president since George W. Bush (2004) to win the popular vote, and Republicans also won the House and Senate. Furthermore, a New York Times post-election report stated that over 89% of U.S. counties swung in Trump’s favor.
However, Democrats flipped a handful of contentious House races, creating one of the most razor-thin margins in many years. In most swing states, thousands of moderate voters split-ticketed, meaning they voted for Trump as the president but Democratic for the rest. Split ticketing ultimately allowed Democrats to make modest gains in state government and hold several Senate seats. Ballot initiatives focused on reversing abortion bans and enshrining constitutional protections in this election cycle won in 7 of 10 states, another win for the Democratic party. Ultimately, these small wins amounted to very little, and Republicans managed to hold the upper hand in most races.
Immediately after Trump’s win, the preparations for the inauguration and administration were underway. Those involved in the transition worked as fast as possible to ensure a smooth sequence of events and adequate alternative plans in case of unpredictable factors or circumstances.
After months of planning, the events were finalized, although some adjustments had to be made due to a cold front that plummeted temperatures in the Northeast, including the D.C. area. So for the first time in 40 years, the inauguration was held inside, with the swearing-in ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. Trump confirmed this via social media by saying, “I have ordered the inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985.”
Holding the ceremony in the Capital Rotunda limited those able to be there in person, and even though the Capital One Arena was opened with a live-stream view of the events on a jumbotron, many of the more than 400,000 expected were not able to enter. The lines to get into the arena formed early, with thousands of faithful supporters standing in the cold for hours to try to get in.
The ceremony officially kicked off at 10:30, which featured country singer Carrie Underwood, who went viral for pushing through technical difficulties and singing a rendition of God Bless America acapella. The swearing-in of President Trump and Vice President Vance occurred exactly at noon, as dictated by the Constitution.
Trump then delivered his Inaugural Address, which lasted for approximately 30 minutes. In it, he emphasized the phrase “golden age,” referring to his aspirations to change the direction of our country as compared to the Biden administration. Trump brought up the two assassination attempts on his life, remarking, “My life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.”
Continuing through his speech, Trump emphasized a theme of unity and pride in the U.S. and thanked Black and Hispanic communities for shifting their “outpouring of love and trust that you have shown me with your vote.” Trump added that he will be a president for all Americans. Trump said, “In everything we do, my administration will be inspired by a strong pursuit of excellence and unrelenting success. We will not forget our country, we will not forget our Constitution, and we will not forget our God.”
In the final part of his speech, Trump addressed his plans and goals for the next four years and hinted at some of the executive orders he would sign later in the day. He emphasized his promises to impose tariffs on other countries instead of raising taxes on Americans, lower the prices of goods and services by supporting more U.S. production and manufacturing, and boost the oil drilling industry to lower gas prices.
Extending a policy from his first 4 years, Trump also addressed immigration and the Southern border. He announced his plan to end birthright citizenship, increase funding for border patrol agents, and conduct immigration raids on criminals who entered the United States illegally.
A few of his promises even went viral. Trump seeks to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and desires to regain control of the Panama Canal. He also has expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, a territory that plays a strategic role in shipping routes to Europe and has an abundance of natural resources. Additionally, Trump remarked that the U.S. will “forge a society that is merit-based” and allows all the same opportunities to succeed.
The concluding event of the Rotunda ceremony was the Benediction, which is a time of prayer for our country, its leaders, and the direction in which we go. This year’s inaugural Benediction featured Reverend Lorenzo Sewell, Rabbi Ari Berman, and Reverend Frank Mann.
The rest of the day afterward was packed with many more events. Trump took immediate action on several more of his campaign promises during the Presidential Signing Ceremony before heading off to the congressional luncheon at the Capital. The presidential parade kicked off after lunch, taking place inside the Capital One Arena. In the evening hours following the ceremony and signing, President Trump ended the evening by delivering remarks at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, The Liberty Ball, and the Starlight Ball.
This year’s Inaugural event featured a string of famous singers. The Village People, best known for their hit song Y.M.C.A, performed at several events and Lee Greenwood sang his “God Bless the U.S.A” as well. Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, and Billy Ray Cyrus were some of the other singers who performed throughout the weekend at the inaugural events.
For those from southern Illinois who made it to the Inauguration, there were a few options as to where they could go to watch the event. Congressman Mike Bost hosted two receptions for those from our area who couldn’t get into the Capital One Arena to watch.
HHS Alum Cameron Gwaltney made the trek to D.C. to see the Inauguration. She was one of the attendees who got to watch the swearing-in ceremony from the Capital One Arena, and she described it as “an unforgettable time that I will never forget.” In addition, Cameron also got to watch the Presidential parade and attended one of the evening celebrations as well. When asked if HHS students should attend the Inauguration in the future, Cameron said “Anyone, no matter what side you are on should go and be there to experience history.”
A few students from the Daily Egyptian (The student publication of SIU) also got to make it for the inaugural weekend. SIU student and Herrin native Enan Chediak was one of the students who covered the events. Chediak, who is an Art major with an emphasis on photography, said that he “wanted to expand my coverage experience to things outside of southern Illinois to diversify my portfolio and increase my chances of getting a job in photojournalism.” While on the trip, Chediak got to cover four events, but he notes that “A lot of our coverage ended up being about how the weather affected attendees’ plans for the weekend. So, most of the things that we had intended to cover did not end up going according to plan.”
As there were only a few select students who got the opportunity to cover the events, Chediak expressed appreciation for the journalism department of SIU. “One of the visiting professional journalists that I’ve met at SIU described the inauguration as the photography Olympics, so it’s an opportunity that I hope will be career-building. Also, I went there with some of my good friends from SIU and met some professionals up there who really made the trip fun and rewarding”, Chediak elaborated.
Here at HHS, of the 103 students surveyed, 44.7% said that they watched the Inaugural events live as opposed to 55.3% that did not. Many of the students who tuned in live watched the whole ceremony as well as the events that followed. Even among those who did not watch live, most said that they had watched clips and excerpts afterward, mainly via social media.
HHS students varied in their opinions of the Inauguration and the direction of our country. Some emphasized their support for all of Trump’s policies, with one student responding, “I support all of what Trump has said.” Students also listed out specific policies they agreed with, including the promises of tariffs, officially declaring there are two genders, increasing military spending, and bargaining with other countries for land.
Among the students who responded positively to their opinions of the Inauguration and Trump, many feel that Trump’s direction for America over the next few months is right. One respondent said, “I expect Trump to focus more on fixing our economy and fighting cartels, something I wholeheartedly support.” Another student remarked, “I expect him to have a great four years and be the best president he can, just like he did before.”
However, some students also disagreed with and opposed Trump’s policies. One dissenting student responded, “Many promises were unrealistic, and I don’t support that.” Another said that Trump is entering office with dangerous rhetoric, “such as arguments and actions against ecological protection in Alaska, birthright citizenship, access to healthcare, and more.”
Those same students also oppose the direction Trump is leading our country. In their responses, they said Trump would “ruin most of what was fought for and cause world relations to strain even further.” Many of these students also “hope he gets impeached” and that “the American people come together and realize how terrible he is for this country.”
Those in opposition aren’t alone. Many protests and rallies occurred during the Inaugural weekend that featured people opposing Trump. The People’s March was an anti-Trump demonstration held in D.C. and various locations across the country on Jan 18, two days before the ceremony. While the crowd was much smaller than the 2017 march, thousands representing various causes still showed up and marched down the streets near the Capitol building. There was a smaller People’s March protest in Carbondale that attracted a few dozen to chant and march the streets.
On Inauguration Day, the We Fight Back protest kicked off near the Capital One Arena. The Daily Egyptian covered this protest, and Chediak, who got to photograph the event, described it as “a conglomerate of a lot of different rallying points like LGBTQ+ and trans rights, women’s rights, the conflict in Gaza, and Filipino rights.” Despite the differences of opinion between the protestors and Trump supporters, Chediak said that “the protests, the lines, and the city at large were very peaceful Sunday and Monday while I was there.”
Ultimately, after the events of the Inauguration concluded and the new administration got settled into D.C., many on both sides hope that the main priority of the Trump administration is working to improve the lives of everyday Americans and keep our nation safe. The voices of the American people rang loud and clear in this past election, and now it is time to watch and reflect on how Americans approve of the direction our country moves in the next four years.
