by The Cowl Editor on January 27, 2017
News
by Meaghan Dodson ’17 and Tait Becker ’19
News Staff
Presidential Inauguration
Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on Friday, January 20.
The Obamas were there to greet the Trumps at the White House, with President Barack Obama stating, “Mr. President-elect, how are you? Good to see you. Congratulations.” Hillary Clinton, who lost the recent presidential election despite winning the popular vote, was also in attendance at the ceremony with her husband, former president Bill Clinton.
Trump then proceeded to the Capitol where, at noon, he officially took the oath of office and addressed the nation for the first time as the President of the United States.
A sizable crowd came to witness the swearing in, but the exact number is still being determined. White House spokesman Sean Spicer stated that the crowd was “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration.” Others, however, observed that the crowd looked noticeably smaller than the crowd for Obama’s inauguration in 2009.
“From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land,” President Trump stated. “From this moment on, it’s going to be America first.”
Concluding his inauguration speech, he stated, “Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way. Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And yes, together, we will make America great again.”
Women’s March
Less than 24 hours after President Trump’s inauguration, people around the world stood in solidarity with those marching in The Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Protests occured everywhere from London to Antarctica to Sydney in an effort to demonstrate feelings of discontent after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Marchers walked through the streets of Washington, D.C., with signs reading, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun-Damental Human Rights,” and “We Shall Overcomb.”
Many of the protests aimed to target issues that the marchers believe will be threatened during the Trump presidency. Ending violence against women, reproductive rights, and workplace equality were among the most prominent of these issues.
In addition to many women’s issues that were brought up, Brexit, gay and bisexual protection, and nuclear weapons were all topics of controversy for these groups of individuals.
Katy Perry, Cher, and several other celebrities were present at the march, while many others shared their support via social media. Gloria Steinem and America Ferrera, meanwhile, were just two of the event’s speakers.
President Trump responded to the march via Twitter, stating, “Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn’t these people vote?”
Although the exact numbers are still being determined, some analysts suggest that the march had three times more people than President Trump’s inauguration.