Onslaught despite the cold

Fans adore Trump: “He’s almost like a god”

The night before the inauguration, Trump celebrated at a party. He even danced to the disco hit "Y.M.C.A.", performed live by the not-so-young Village People.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

Despite freezing temperatures, more than 200,000 Trump fans flocked to Washington to witness his inauguration. Due to the weather, the ceremony was moved to Congress, but this did not dampen their enthusiasm. On the contrary: they held out for hours, celebrating their president and defending him against critics. For them, Trump is more than a politician - "almost like a god".

They braved the freezing weather. Donald Trump's fans were already freezing from 6 a.m. in the longest queue in Washington - in the hope of gaining admission to the 20,000-capacity Capital One Arena, where the live viewing party for the swearing-in took place.

This also meant that a good 200,000 Trump supporters remained outside in the cold, as a total of 220,000 tickets had previously been distributed. However, Trump then decided to move the ceremony into the congressional rotunda, which is only 720 square meters in size, due to the weather.

200,000 Trump fans braved the freezing temperatures to celebrate with the new president.

(Bild: AFP)

In warm anoraks or even historical costumes.

(Bild: Enterpress)

By 10 a.m., the queue had not yet moved. The Trump supporters kept warm, for example by letting a cardboard Trump surf on a surfboard over the heads of those waiting in line. Among them was Brandon Carpenter, who had traveled all the way from Tennessee with his family: "Of course I'm disappointed that we can't be there live for President Trump's oath of office."

However, the 26-year-old was convinced that it was not due to the weather that the ceremony was moved indoors: "I'm sure the security risk was too great, after all, there have already been two assassination attempts on our president." Apparently he had not heard the angry denial from Trump's new White House spokeswoman Karolina Leavitt.

"Your president is a pussy"
When a Trump opponent with a megaphone tried to provoke the crowd with "Your president is a pussy", Mike from Baltimore (Maryland) wordlessly showed him the inscription on his sweater: "Trump won - get over it!" The 52-year-old hopes that the new man in the White House "will bring golden times to our economy".

Due to high inflation, Barbara Kline from Pennsylvania has also put her cross behind Trump: "The last few years have been a real nightmare, I can barely afford food and gasoline. It's high time Trump pulled the lever."

In conversation: Jared Kushner and wife Ivanka Trump with Tesla boss Elon Musk

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

The night before the inauguration, Trump celebrated at a party.

(Bild: REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

In the midst of the sea of fanatical Trump supporters, Swiss-born Maite waved a US flag. She advises Europe not to take everything Trump says at face value: "But I just hope and pray that he can solve the conflicts in the world. We could do with someone like him in Europe too!"

While a musician dressed as a founding father sang patriotic songs, a small bearded man in USA colors and a "Make America Great Again" baseball cap whipped up the others with a loud "USA, USA". What he hopes his idol will do in the next four years: "We're going to throw all the illegals out of the country and get back at the damn Marxists (he means the Democrats) for what they did to our president."

As always, Trump appeared very self-confident at the inauguration, according to the motto: "The winner takes it all". He seemed very relaxed.

„Krone“-US-Botschafterin Petra Schneebauer war bei der Angelobung dabei

Bild: BMEIA/ Michael Gruber

Trump celebrated with Bezos and Musk the evening before
The fact that Trump could not bathe in the cheers of his 220,000 most loyal supporters on the National Mall did not seem to suit him. That's why he announced the evening before that he would break the two-hundred-year-old protocol of the inauguration: "After I take the oath of office, I will come to my voters and celebrate with them! I wouldn't be here today without them!"

The night before the inauguration, Trump celebrated at a party. He even danced to the disco hit "Y.M.C.A.", performed live by the not-so-young Village People.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

Trump had already celebrated at a big party the evening before - in the very sports arena where the live viewing took place on Monday. The whole family was there and, of course, his new friends such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and others. People cheered and danced under the motto "We won!". Trump also shook a leg to the hit "Y.M.C.A." to great applause.

The 49-year-old Christina, who traveled 27 hours by car from Texas to be there, could hardly believe her luck. "He's almost like a god," she said. He had survived two assassination attempts, "and only he can save people ..."