Washington (AP) President-elect Donald Trump will be surrounded by a dramatically different Washington than he was eight years ago when he takes the oath of office on Monday within a crowded Capitol Rotunda.
Then, many congressional Republicans were discreetly ready to fight back against the more radical aspects of Trump’s plan and look into his past when he spoke of American carnage on the inaugural stage in the rain.
They are supporting him virtually unanimously today. Before proceedings were moved indoors, world leaders and corporate CEOs who had previously objected to Trump were expected to attend the ceremony, ready to suffer the harsh cold to openly express their support.
It is also a very different Washington than it was four years ago, when an uprising by Trump’s fans just two weeks prior required the stage constructed for Democrat Joe Biden’s inauguration to be quickly restored. Police attempted to stop the rioters from breaking into the Capitol and stopping the certification of Biden’s victory, but the rioters ripped portions of the scaffolding off to use as weapons.
When rioters broke through the main doors and stormed in aggressively, the Rotunda was also crowded. They resisted police attempts to eject them from the building, hanged from statuary, and yelled for lawmakers.
Many Republicans believed Trump’s political career was ended because he declined to attend Biden’s inauguration. But he returned with Washington in tow, stronger than before.
North Dakota Republican Senator Kevin Cramer remarked, “It’s a party victory in that there is this new populist Republican Party.” Without a certain, there is a lot more enthusiasm now than there was eight years ago.
The fact that Trump’s second inauguration will take place indoors—a last-minute decision due to the cold, windy weather—will also make it unique. When he takes the oath inside, the Capitol’s West Front platform, which was constructed over several months, will be empty and unoccupied.
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, Biden’s inauguration in 2020 was also unusual because it was held without the customary throngs. Instead of being packed in, the platform’s patrons were dispersed.
According to Cramer, it seemed strange but also more intimate with fewer people, even if many other lawmakers did not attend. “I remember how few people were out there listening to the big teleprompter and the giant screen TV that Joe Biden was reading off of,” he remarked.
Has he ever imagined that Trump, who was mostly avoided by official Washington following the attack on January 6, would be returning to the Capitol to take the oath of office?
According to Cramer, it was a potential that was obviously always present.
Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota claims that although Trump was unknown in 2017, Washington Republicans now know how he works.
According to Rounds, they are aware that he will test the waters and make pronouncements. However, they are also aware that he will seek advice before proceeding with his decision.
Trump’s second term still faces challenges despite the broad support and unified power in Washington, including a slim House majority and divergent party ideologies as he and Republican leaders consider massive bills to increase energy production, secure the border, cut taxes, and deport immigrants.
After Congress rejected Trump’s attempt to include an increase in the debt limit in year-end spending legislation, an early test in December revealed his limitations.
It’s a delicate moment for Democrats.
Democrat Andy Kim of New Jersey, a freshman senator, says, “I think it’s all the more clear this time around that the challenges that we face and the divisiveness of our nation, that it runs deep.” There is more than one individual in the Oval Office at issue here. Trump is hardly the only issue here. Biden isn’t the only issue.
As the nation gets ready to commemorate its 250th anniversary, Kim said he has been considering legislation that would get bipartisan support and foster unity, such as funding for civics education or a national service program.
Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, says he thinks Trump’s Cabinet picks are different, with many of them being chosen because of their loyalty to him. There were more qualified and well-respected individuals in his Cabinet eight years ago.
King claimed that hearing Trump say “American carnage” was his most memorable moment from his first inauguration.
Trump stated at the time that, in contrast to his optimistic inaugural addresses, a different reality exists for many Americans who are impoverished, for communities that lost factories, for schools that denied knowledge to our young, attractive students, and for the crime, gangs, and drugs that have taken too many lives and robbed our nation of a great deal of untapped potential.
Trump stated in his speech that the American tragedy must end immediately. Over the past eight years, he has brought up those topics often.
King described the moment as really startling.
By Jalonick, Mary Clare
