WASHINGTON – With the inauguration indoors, thousands waited in line in frigid temperatures to get into the Capital One Arena in downtown Washington on Monday, where they could view the event on-screen and hope to see President Trump during an appearance planned there for later in the day.
Despite the weather and the venue change, many supporters were determined to see the nation's 47th president and that meant standing in line in the cold not just on Monday but also the day before.
Joe Ann Floyd, who works at a high school technical center in Mississippi, says she stood in line for five hours on Sunday for Trump's victory rally only to find when she arrived at the entrance that the venue was at capacity.
"I think a lot of people were breaking line," said Floyd, who wore a black fur hat in the 21 degree Fahrenheit air.
Floyd, who has a ticket for Monday's event thanks to a state senator, was more optimistic she'd get in this time. By Monday afternoon, she had made it inside the arena.
Many people standing in line said they had come to Washington because they support Trump's policies, especially on immigration.
Ethan Zhang, who is originally from China and works in marketing in New York, says since the pandemic, conditions in the city have deteriorated. He blames much of that on immigrants who are in the U.S. with no legal status.
"I used to live in Queens," said Zhang. "My neighborhood used to be quiet. When they get in, they play music very loud and they just don't respect anything."
"I'm an immigrant myself," Zhang continued, "but I have to do a ton of paperwork, I have to pay my tax dollars."
Some Trump supporters here today also came for Trump's inauguration in 2017. They say back then they didn't feel welcome in this overwhelmingly Democratic city.
"We had a lot of hate," recalled Amanda Travis, a respiratory therapist from Arizona. "People screamed at us, (saying) 'We hate you! Scum of the earth!' We were really afraid."
Today, she says, the most she gets is a dirty look and no one is mean. Her husband, Steven Schreiber, says that may be because Trump won both the electoral and popular vote this time
"I think that legitimizes it much more," he said.
NPR producer Kaity Kline contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 NPR
