Locals witness history
County Republicans attend inauguration
The inauguration of Donald Trump saw a large crowd in attendance that included a few area Republicans.
County legislators Dave Wilfong, Lisa Vanstrom and Elisabeth Rankin were among the locals who made the trek to Washington, D.C. for the swear-in ceremony. For Wilfong, it was the first time he’s been to the Nation’s Capitol. Wilfong was also joined by his wife, Beth.
“To see all those people of different ages and race and political parties all come together, it was very impressive,” Wilfong said. “It was a sea of people who came down for this inauguration. We actually met people from California who flew in. It was great.”
The group got in Thursday. On Friday, they woke up around 5 a.m. to get ready for the ceremony. Wilfong said they were positioned toward the front near a large screen.
“The crowd was so big that by time you would hear him speak, you would hear people cheering up front and it would go like a wave,” he said.
Wilfong said the president’s speech following the swear-in was uplifting.
“(He said) the people would take charge of government, not government telling the people what to do,” he said. “He promised that we would not be forgotten and our government is going to work for us. I think the crowd accepted it really well.”
Along with the masses of people, Wilfong said a lot of security was in place with K-9s and Capital Police to the U.S. Army, TSA, Border Patrol and the Social Service.
For Rankin, the event was special as it celebrates democracy and the transition of presidents. Rankin said she liked what Trump had to say.
“He mentioned all kinds of people from those who live in the Rust Belt to the metropolitan areas and farmlands. He wants to be able to pay attention to everyone across the country. That stuck with me,” she said.
Overall, Rankin said she was thrilled to be part of a special moment.
“Once we got here, I really felt the enormity of being a part of history. It’s a celebration of who we and how we’re able to have an election and have a transition of leadership. It speaks a lot to who we are as a country.”
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