This year’s Inauguration Day, otherwise known as Jan. 20, 2025, marks the award of President Donald J. Trump to his federal government title, making official the transfer of power to the new administration. The day was filled with an array of emotions, from the absence of political figures like Alexandra Occasio Cortez and Michelle Obama to the honoring of people who have sacrificed for Trump’s success. A parade of American style transformed this day in history beyond the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., formulating in a complex spectrum of political thought.
At 5:34 p.m. on Jan. 20 in Washington D.C., a moment of silence was held for Corey Comperatore, a veteran who took a fatal bullet at President Trump’s rally on July 13 — the first of two assassination attempts of the campaigning president in 2024 — marking a solemn moment in the President’s inaugural celebration. Applauding, the crowd arose in a “Fight!” chant as the president pumped his fist, honoring Comperatore’s uniform.
While this demonstration captured just one part of the day’s events, it also encapsulated the pride of Trump’s executive order signing at Capital One Arena. Virtual members of the audience, however, had an array of reactions to Trump’s parade following the Inauguration ceremony.
Some Redwood students decided to celebrate the ceremony in unique ways.
Seniors and Co-Presidents of the Democrat Club Elle Hock and Daniel Filler enjoyed a “Make Fun of the Inauguration Party,” which allowed them to digest the inauguration in a community environment.
Hock watched the live broadcast of Trump’s swearing-in with a few members of the Democrat Club. Upon the official inauguration of Trump, Hock’s perception of the day shifted to a more emotional state.
“It was a moment that the feeling of ‘this actually is happening’ kind of hit, like, ‘we’re going to be living through another four years of Donald Trump’ hit, and that wasn’t a good feeling,” Hock said.
Watching the event unfold from across the country, Hock said it was “kind of scary to think about” how the country changed during this transition of power, especially with Trump’s speech covering controversial topics.
“It stops as of 1 o’clock this afternoon,” Trump said, referring to the immigration policies under the Biden administration.
Such sentiments extended beyond the 78 executive orders under the Biden administration that Trump plans to eradicate, calling them “destructive, radical executive actions of the previous administration” that would be “null and void” under his power.
One of such actions was removing the United States from the climate accords of the Paris Treaty. While preparing to end the United States’ involvement in this treaty, an agreement between most nations to work against climate change, Trump preached the unnecessariness of the treaty.
“Unless everybody does it, it doesn’t work. We had the cleanest air under the Trump administration,” Trump said.
This perspective on climate change differs significantly from that of the previous administration, which aimed to work with global powers to slow the impacts of global warming. Although it is an ongoing discussion in modern politics, Trump decided not to devote further time to discussing the implications of climate change and pivoted to his financial endeavors.
“Tariffs are gonna make us rich as hell,” Trump said, with an eager expression.
After making his way off of the podium and toward a desk across the front of the stage, the audience ripped into applause.
Trump signed legislation in front of the Capital One Arena audience to end the federal government’s censorship of social media. This legislation, along with the revival of TikTok earlier this week, is exemplary of Trump’s push for the freedom of American speech.

TikTok’s role in the national and local community has become a pertinent conversation, especially among adolescents. The temporary banning of the app reminded some Redwood students of the importance of living in the community.
Forming this sense of community in a school has been therapeutic to Democrat Club members as they have discussed the national transition of power throughout the campaigning, electoral and inaugural processes of this season.
“Make America Great Again” streamed across the landscape of Inauguration Day celebrants, fueling a loud environment as Trump signed his first executive orders into law. This action, after being sworn into his presidency earlier in the afternoon, sparked in a fist-pumping “thank you” from the president to the celebration’s attendees who chanted “U.S.A.” and “We love you!”
As he strutted off the stage with a trail of his family and inner circle, Trump’s celebration ended with a broadcast of “Y.M.C.A.” by Village People, symbolic of their excitement for the start of the new administration.
This send-off for the president reacted to his promise to sign additional executive orders upon his arrival at the Oval Office, which was his next stop.
Ohio’s Middletown High School Marching Band and Cheerleaders performed to celebrate Vice President James Donald Vance’s upbringing in the school’s hometown. Trump and Vance, alongside First Lady Melania Trump and Vance’s eldest son, were featured on the live broadcast as the marching band performed, smiling at the sight of the next voting generation.
“Did everybody hear my speech? Did you like my speech?” Trump said with a yelping applause from the audience following. Trump’s final public words at the arena marked a fierce end of the previous administration.