A journalist recalls attending a January 2017 press tour titled: “Covering the inauguration of Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States.” The plan was to witness the formal steps of the Capitol, but the experience unfolded as a three‑day celebration that Americans are familiar with when a new president takes office. It became clear that the trip was less about a single moment and more about a sprawling spectacle, a civic event that drew people from across the country and beyond to share in the moment together. Cited: participant’s account.
Three days before the so‑called D‑Day, Washington buzzed like a simmering pot. The city looked as if nothing was happening, yet everything felt charged. A festive mood hung in the air, a New Year’s energy that’s hard to pin down. Even the street closures near the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Capitol only intensified the atmosphere, framing the moment as an exclusive experience rather than a routine political ritual. Cited: participant’s account.
Eight years earlier, Trump was a frequent target of satire in the media. Caricatures dominated newspaper covers, and street stalls sold shirts and trinkets that teased the future president’s famously unruly hair. One bought a T‑shirt that read Love Trumps Hair, a playful nod to the public fascination with his appearance. Photos were taken, a plastic jar of cotton candy bore a label about Trump’s hair, and the moment carried a lighthearted, almost carnivalish threat: you’ll smile or you’ll miss out. Cited: participant’s account.
Supporters of Trump were easily identified by their star‑spangled adornments, Uncle Sam‑style hats remembered from cartoons, and a sea of national flags. Even opponents of the slogan Make America Great Again seemed to join the mood, if only to witness history unfold. Pink hats with horned shapes appeared to symbolize rebellion, while many African Americans wore images of Barack Obama and carried badges or keepsakes. The commentary on Hillary Clinton’s defeat in 2016 lingered in the air, with sellers offering mock offers about Hillary that few accepted. The writer wondered about the fate of Kamala Harris in the unfolding political landscape. Cited: participant’s account.
On the morning of the 20th, invitations to an inauguration event arrived, only to discover many city landmarks—museums and libraries in the downtown area—had organized parallel screenings and gatherings. Visitors could watch the ceremony on large screens while enjoying a buffet that echoed the fast‑food favorites associated with the occasion, including fries, hamburgers, popcorn, and sodas. The plan promised a personal proximity to the ceremony and a chance to witness the motorcade as it moved in and out of the venue. Cited: participant’s account.
For hours, the floors of a nearby news museum hummed with a lively crowd and loud broadcasts. People around seemed content to soak in the moment, yet the scene also carried a sense of distance from the televised spectacle they could simply watch at home for free. The format may have appeared strange at first, but it let observers see, up close, the spectacle of power: the presidential car, flanked by guards in dark coats and sunglasses, the entourage moving with the tempo of a made‑for‑television moment. Security was tight, and the scanners and searches were ongoing during the three days spent in the city. Cited: participant’s account.
The celebration did not end with the ceremony. Both campaigns hosted so‑called “balls” in honor of their candidates, evening receptions at museums, theaters, and other venues with limited alcohol and an aura of exclusivity. The journalist encountered high‑profile names in the crowd and posed for photographs at the Republic Ball, including connections to Angelina Jolie’s father and longtime allies of the president. A stop at the Museum of African Art added to the itinerary, a reminder that this was a festival of civic ritual as much as a political turning point. Tickets for these events were expensive and scarce, making the mood feel both thrilling and a touch inaccessible to an outsider. Cited: participant’s account.
The capital, it seems, would not miss a chance to mark Trump’s presence with another round of grand, public celebration, even if the jokes grew quieter and the laughter less loud. The week’s energy suggested that the city would host another round of ceremonies and gatherings, each with its own cast of characters and moments that would be remembered long after the crowds dispersed. Cited: participant’s account.
In reflecting on the experience, it is clear that Washington’s January weekend was less a single event and more a layered festival of politics, media, and memory. It offered a snapshot of a city turning its attention outward, inviting a broad audience to participate in the drama, the fashion, the rituals, and the rare consensus that accompanies a national moment of transition. The story remains a vivid record of a time when the American capital became a stage for a presidency beginning its first term and the public’s complex, varied reactions to it. Cited: participant’s account.