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Fear and loathing in Washington DC: progressives dread Trump inauguration
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/15/donald-trump-inauguration-washington-progressivesFear and loathing in Washington DC: progressives dread Trump inauguration
David Smith in Washington
Sunday 15 January 2017 12.00 GMT Last modified on Sunday 15 January 2017 12.01 GMT
It’s for real. Donald Trump, billionaire businessman, reality TV celebrity and – to his foes – bigot and demagogue will place his hand on a Bible, repeat a 35-word oath and be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. What began with a stunt, lampooned as a joke and dismissed as a fantasy will at noon on Friday become historical truth. Trump will be the most powerful man in the world.
Only the wildest optimists believe his inauguration will deliver a moment of national healing and unity. It comes in the wake of another turbulent week that saw the publication of unverified documents alleging covert links between the Trump campaign and Russia. A chaotic press conference, in which Trump berated a CNN journalist for “fake news”, did little to instill confidence.
In Washington, hotels were booked and stands were erected in readiness for thousands of Trump loyalists, revelling in his upending of the political order, and thousands of protesters determined to gatecrash his coronation. Amid splendid pomp and pageantry, the capital is set to stage a battle for the heart of America.
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Trump, who at 70 will be the oldest person ever sworn in as US president, this week promised a “very, very elegant day” with “massive crowds”, a familiar boast at his campaign rallies. The joint congressional committee on inaugural activities, which oversees all ceremonies, is expecting 700,000 to 750,000 people – well short of Obama’s total.
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But along with the celebrations, there will be a week of protest against a man who insulted Mexicans and Muslims and boasted about groping women. There were demonstrations against Richard Nixon in 1973 and George W Bush in 2001, but nothing on the scale Trump faces in Washington, a liberal bastion where he took just 4% of the vote (even Bush managed 9% in 2000).
Bill Galston, a former policy adviser to Bill Clinton, said: “The tone and temper of the election campaign has people worried. There are a lot of people genuinely scared. Fear is an even stronger emotion than anger.”
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About 30 groups have secured permits to protest before, during and after the inauguration. District police and the US secret service plan to have some 3,000 officers and 5,000 national guard troops available, claiming this will be enough to ensure the inauguration goes ahead even if protesters try to disrupt it.
The biggest gathering will be on Saturday, the Women’s March on Washington, which organisers say could draw more than 200,000 people. Actors Amy Schumer, Scarlett Johansson, America Ferrera and Felicity Huffman will be among those taking part. Its organisers did not respond to requests for comment but Wikler of MoveOn.org said: “The march will send a message to every policymaker in Washington that the public is mobilised and ready to fight. The public is overwhelmingly opposed to Trump’s attitudes on women’s rights, immigrants’ rights and LGBT rights. Progressives are banding together in a way we haven’t seen in a decade. People are dusting off their marching shoes. A massive march can show which way the political wind is blowing.”
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