Inauguration

I’ve been in Washington covering the parties and general circus of Trump’s inauguration part deux.

On a sleeting and snowy Sunday, I walked into and around barricades trying to get into my first Trump rally in the Capital One Arena. As my toes froze solid, I gave up and went into a bar and ordered a Hot Toddy. The gentleman reporter I was with bought two freezing women who’d been out for seven hours glasses of hearty red wine. First off, they offered that they couldn’t wait for the January 6 hostages to be pardoned. They then announced they were proud “January-Sixers” themselves.

I gulped my Toddy and said, “Tell me about that.”

One, about fifty years old — mascara dripping down her cheeks, said, “Well, of course the whole day of Jan . 6 was very peaceful where we were. And all the horrible people battling cops and ramming windows were actually ANTIFA people just setting Trumper fans up to look violent. In fact, she explained, no real Trump supporters were up near the U.S. Capitol at all. “Look at us,” she said. “All January Sixers are like us, and we are so nice, right?!”

Well, she was really nice. Just, she made no sense. To me, at least.

On another note, I’ve been experimenting with making video stories that go with my written stories, so I add my inauguration “digital take” right here: