The Dawn of a New Era: Inauguration Day 2017

As I stood in line, I watched the sun rise behind the Capitol, lighting it up in a beautiful array of colors. Today was going to be the dawn of new era in America and I could not be more excited to see what it holds. I was going to witness the transition of power from one president to another, a very unique experience. Our need for this transition was long overdue and although I can only hope that Donald Trump will live up to his words, I have great confidence that he will.

The few hours I stood outside before the official ceremony of the Inauguration began, I reflected on the whole election cycle and how Trump came to be our nation’s choice. I can personally admit that I was not won over by Trump right away. I supported and was interested in other candidates that were in the running. But I never completely wiped the idea of Trump as our president out of my head. I listened to what he had to say during debates and I researched his stances on different topics and before I knew it, he had won me over. I had come to understand that our nation needed change, something different. Donald Trump was exactly that.

As more and more people began arriving to the National Mall, I admired their Trump apparel, posters of support they created, and American flags that they were waving.There was a feeling of American patriotism among the crowd that I have not seen for a while now. Everybody’s conversations and facial expressions were full of hope and excitement. We all watched the big screens in anticipation of the arrival of President Obama and President-Elect Donald Trump. The crowd greeted President Obama and Michelle Obama warmly, as well as Joe Biden. Although they may have not agreed with many of his policies, they still displayed respect for Obama, as our president. On the other hand, attendees of the event such as Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were greeted with booing from the crowd. Of course the crowd erupted with cheer when Trump’s family members were announced as well as the President- Elect himself.

After Trump was officially sworn into office, it was like watching the sun rise all over again, but this time it was the sunrise of America and the possibilities that it brings for the next four years. As Trump took the podium for his first speech as President of the United States, the crowd waited in expectation. I felt that his speech covered many of the issues that concern our nation today and was inspiring to the people who stood in the cold for many hours and the ones sitting at home, watching him on TV. We applauded as he told us that this was our moment, and that from now on our government will truly be controlled by us, the people. We cheered when he talked about securing our boarders, fighting radical Islamic terrorism, growing American industry, and reinforcing as well as creating alliances with other nations. His speech displayed the true meaning of his motto “Make American Great Again." I felt that we as American citizens would not only be able to dream big, but now we would achieve big as well.

I left the National Mall that afternoon feeling a renewed sense of pride and thankfulness for the nation I live in. I am a woman, I am a descendent of immigrants, I am Jewish, and yes I support and respect our new President, Donald Trump. Our country belongs to the people that reside in it and now I am finally reassured that our voices and concerns are going to be heard. I am so grateful that I got to attend and experience such an amazing event that will go down in history. I believe that we can unite together, give our new president an opportunity to live up to his promises, and work toward a common goal for the betterment of our nation.

Nicole Finkel is an online editor for the GW College Republicans. The opinions expressed on this blog are her own opinions and do not represent the official views of the GW College Republicans.