WASHINGTON D.C. – Groups of people from Central Florida braved the bitter cold of Washington, D.C. to witness the Trump inauguration.
I met four women from Windermere on my flight to D.C. — Laurel, Michelle, Gina and Tina.
Plans for the girls' trip to the inauguration changed minute by minute because the frigid weather forced changes to the inaugural schedule.
Some 250,000 people had tickets to the inauguration. At the last minute, all of the events were moved indoors. Only 20,000 of the ticketed guests would watch from inside the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C.
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“We have tickets, but that doesn’t mean anything,” one of the women said. “Most likely we won’t get in, but we’re gonna give it our best shot.”
Their determination paid off as they managed to secure seats after enduring a sleepless night.
“What did it take to get into this arena? 4 a.m., But look where we are,” one exclaimed.
However, they had to leave their purses on the sidewalk due to security restrictions.
“When we got to security, they said you cannot bring your purse. I had to leave a brand-new purse. I took my money out and my ID and all that,” one of them recounted.
Despite the challenges, the women felt it was all worth it. “This is once in our lifetime… we’re counting on it,” they said.
Meanwhile, in a hotel lobby bar, a group of Floridians from Volusia County gathered around a makeshift TV setup to watch Donald Trump take the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States.
“I’m a fluid person. That’s how it’s gonna be at an event like this,” said Kim Short from Port Orange. “I’m also a Floridian. We deal with weather issues all the time. We probably dealt with this the best.”
Laura and Curtis Hodges from New Smyrna Beach appreciated the warm atmosphere. “The leaders in Volusia County came up with a great place for us all to be together. Plus, it’s warmer here than in the mall,” they noted.
The hotel provided a festive environment, more akin to a football game than a chilly inauguration.
“This hotel has been very good to us. They gave us an opportunity to have our own viewing party here,” one attendee said, followed by chants of “USA.”
Brigitt Smith, chair of the Marion County Republican Party, expressed her excitement.
“I mean it’s like redemption and I can’t even put it into words. We’re just ecstatic,” she said. “It’s so exciting he’s taking so many Floridians in his cabinet. It goes to show we have it right in Florida. We are so proud to be Floridians.”
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