Trump the triumphant

FOR the tens of thousands of Trump-loving patriots who arrived in Washington DC for yesterday's inauguration, there was a sense of immense excitement, optimism... and disappointment.

- Christian Calgie

The excitement and optimism was on account of Donald Trump's emphatic and clear mandate to "make America great again"; the disappointment was due to the decision to move the entire ceremony inside.

On the day, the weather at the US Capitol was so poor, even the outdoor screens that had been promised were nowhere to be seen.

It resulted in desperate Trump supporters crowding around laptops and phones in order to watch and hear the US president being sworn in.

Some people were so far away from the speaker, they had no hope of following the big moment.

But huddled away in pockets of the city, from pubs and bars to hotel lobbies. small gatherings of Trump supporters could be found.

Even in these less-than-glorious settings, there was a palpable sense of hope and patriotism.

US authorities had pulled their finger out to organise the indoor ceremony at lightning speed.

But the foreign reporters, many of whom had travelled thousands of miles, were excluded from the main event.

Instead, VIPs entered the impressive Capitol building to watch Donald Trump's oath oath of of office, and barnstorming America-first speech.

The families of Mr Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, were there. His 6ft 7in son Barron, 18, towered over the gathering.

His wife Melania's outfit not only made her look like she was about to board the Titanic, but her hat had such a wide brim, her husband gave up trying to kiss her cheek about an inch away from her face.

Even big-name Brits struggled to find space at the inauguration, though ex-PM Boris Johnson managed to nab a high-demand seat.

The move indoors also left Tories Dame Priti Patel, Suella Braverman and Liz Truss out in the cold.