Thousands traveled to the nation’s capital for President Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president, among them were Oklahomans who made the journey as supporters, critics and security.
Those who traveled to Washington to attend the inauguration in person had to abruptly change their plans Friday morning when the inauguration was moved inside the Capitol because of cold weather.
Luckily, the inauguration wasn’t the only opportunity Trump supporters had to see him. He was also scheduled to speak at the Make America Great Again Victory Rally at Capital One Arena on Sunday, the day before he was scheduled to take the oath of office.
Beginning in the early morning, thousands of Trump supporters lined the streets near Capital One Arena in the cold and rain waiting to enter the arena which holds just 20,000.
Oklahoma Sen. Darrell Weaver (R, Moore) had planned on attending the rally but decided against it because of the lines.
“We’d never been to an inauguration so I wanted to come up, my wife and I, to kind of join to see what it’s all about,” Weaver told Gaylord News outside of Capital One Arena before the Victory Rally. “The lines are long to try to get in to see President-elect Trump today, but it’s cold out here in Washington today.”
“It almost feels like (an) old-timey United States Inauguration, where you see the pictures, you kind of have that feel. So we’re enjoying it.”
Weaver, who chairs the Oklahoma Senate Public Safety Committee, also had a ticket to attend the inauguration but did not take issue with the inauguration moving indoors or the disruption it caused.
“I think everybody’s just trying to be flexible and trying to make it through,” Weaver said.
Randall Plumlee, the mayor of Salina in far northeast Oklahoma, echoed Weaver’s concerns for safety but said he would’ve stood out in the cold
“You’re sad that it happened but you can understand why,” Plumlee said.
Plumlee, who had tickets to the inauguration prior to the venue changes, waited outside of Capital One Arena for hours to attend the inauguration watch party.
When he realized he would not be able to get in, he opted to attend Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s (R-Westville) watch party at Hill Country Barbecue Market. Mullin was one of several members of the delegation, including Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma City) to hold a watch party for inauguration ticketholders unable to attend the in-person ceremony.
Other Oklahoma government officials made the trip to Washington for the inauguration including Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who recently announced his candidacy for governor, and Gov. Kevin Stitt who was in the Capitol rotunda during the swearing-in ceremony.
“It is going to be so fun to have a president in the White House that believes in law and order,” Stitt said in a video posted on social media. “Day one in office we’re going to secure the border, we’re going to get safe communities, he’s going to unleash energy dominance which is going to help Oklahoma tremendously.”
After taking the oath of office, Trump said in his inaugural address that he planned to sign executive orders declaring a national emergency at the border and allowing the deployment of troops.
While many Oklahomans who traveled to Washington were in town to support Trump, some made the journey to protest him.
Beth Anne Manipella and Becky Porter traveled from Tulsa to attend the People’s March which was held on Jan. 18. Thousands of protestors gathered at various parks before marching to the Lincoln Memorial.
“When we were marching along and just reading all the different signs that people had, and the different viewpoints everyone had, everyone came for a different reason but we were all there and you feel supported in your reason,” Manipella said.
Manipella said being from Oklahoma, where all 77 counties voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, she typically feels like she’s in the minority politically. At the march, she said she realized it isn’t as much of a minority as she thought.
“We are here to represent, our state, our beliefs and our country,” Porter said.
Also in Washington to represent Oklahoma were nearly 100 members of the Oklahoma National Guard who were tasked with assisting with security measures.
“We’re here to help support local law enforcement,” Specialist Tristen Courtney said. “We’re just here to lend a helping hand.”
While many of the people who traveled to Washington did so because of their political beliefs, members of the Oklahoma National Guard were more interested in completing their mission, witnessing history and exploring Washington.
“It’s also my first time in DC so getting to explore is pretty cool,” Sergeant Taylor Frizzel said. “The Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Memorial those were pretty cool things to see in person.”
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.
