Crowds gather at inauguration to see candidate take the oath of office

I was a Donald J. Trump supporter from day one.

My journey as a Trump supporter started a new chapter in the lengthy voyage of politics. It was a long and arduous path, but ultimately, traveling to the inauguration consummated this journey.  My support for Donald J. Trump was unbreakable. Just ask many of my friends, family, and roommates—as soon as President Trump announced his bid for the office, I knew he was unlike any other candidate we have ever encountered in modern day history; different, a sure winner.

I was mocked on Facebook, laughed at by friends and fellow students, and debated by some of my professors because of my support for my choice of candidate. Of course, I do not agree with every single one of President Trump’s views, but one thing that most supporters come together to love is his unfiltered speech. Since taking a real interest in politics, I feel as if I have been subjected to the same old pay-for-play politics where politicians promise one thing, yet do another.

I was enamored by how President Trump stood up to the other stereotypical politicians on puppet strings. Those individuals—the Jeb Bushes, the Marco Rubios, and the Ted Cruzes couldn’t quite hit back like President Trump because their special interests and donors were always watching. It was really what those donors wanted. Money talks. The refreshing nature of Trump’s strong, abrasive language was embraced by some, and scolded by many. But for me, this is exactly what got me interested from the inception of the primaries.

I am extremely grateful and lucky to have had the opportunity to witness President Trump take the oath of office as our 45th president at his inauguration ceremony. I began my adventure by driving to College Park, Maryland, because a $108 train ticket is simply not in the  average college student’s budget.

My friend, Angelo Pizza, ’18 and I left at 11 p.m. on Thursday and arrived at College Park by Friday at 1:30 a.m. to rest for a few hours. We took the first train at 4:04 a.m. into Washington D.C. We had to walk the serpentine streets, through road blockages and military personnel, police, and security. There were several police officers and at least five National Guard personnel with Humvees on every street surrounding the capital. Extensive security was needed for obvious reasons.

Finally, we arrived at the North Standing Blue Gate entrance at 5 a.m. There were at least 300 people ahead of us at this point. We waited another hour to get through to the security check. We ran through the onslaught of early crowds and made it to our spot, where we stood for the next six and a half hours.

Getting there early was totally worth it. We were as close as possible in our section, adjacent to the barriers in our area. Needless to say, we were still 100 yards away, but the atmosphere was electric. We were surrounded by similar Trump supporters who elected him into office—ordinary, average people from all walks of life, that make up the backbone of our country. Hours passed before the ceremonial bands began to play. As the clock struck noon, the moment we were all waiting for happened: Trump was inaugurated.

I was absolutely speechless as the crowd’s thunderous roars were heard throughout the entirety of Capitol Hill. President Trump went on to give one of the most powerful and commanding speeches.

During this speech, President Trump addressed pay-for-play politics in Washington, promising to bring back jobs across the country, rebuild our infrastructure, protect each and every American from foreign and domestic threats, and fight with every breath in his body for us, the American people.

This was one of the most memorable times of my life, and I will never forget how he beat the odds, the polls, and every political pundit to become the 45th president. I may have been a part of the vocal minority in supporting President Trump, but I never faltered in my support of him, just as he will never falter in his support for our country.