Campus reacts to presidential inauguration
January 23, 2017
Students filed into the courtyard cafe of the Illini Union on Friday morning to watch the inauguration of 45th President Donald Trump. By 10 a.m., as many as 50 students were present.
Trump’s inaugural address began with him thanking former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama for their aid throughout the transition. He then emphasized how the inauguration was not just about transferring power from one administration to the next, but about transferring power from the government to the people.
“January 20, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again,” Trump said. “The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.”
Trump then moved on to talking about his expectations for his term, including patriotism, international relations, protecting the nation from harm and more.
David Hunt, a 2008 graduate in journalism, said the address wasn’t what he expected.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
“I was expecting more of an in-the-middle kind of speech, but it was a very decisive inauguration speech,” Hunt said. “And I actually think that’s what this country needs, is someone who is going to be decisive one way or the other and really push ideas forward. So I was very surprised, but I am excited to see what’s gonna happen after that.”
With Trump’s presidency officially here, some on campus wonder how the new administration will make a direct change in their lives. Hunt, who now works in software, believes that Trump’s emphasis on keeping jobs in America will affect his market.
“A lot of the jobs are going to India specifically, and a lot of that is that companies are getting giant tax breaks to leave America and go to these countries,” Hunt said. “And I think there’s going to be a big shift in bringing those jobs from India, all of those software companies, back into America and put into American engineers.”
On the other side, Xiaolong Shen, a senior in statistics, is an international student who worries about Trump’s international policy in regards to labor.
“I’m from China, and I heard that he’s going to act against China economically and politically. I think he is going to strengthen (restrictions) on foreign labor, so that’s kind of bad for me,” Shen said. “I’ll still try and stay here. I heard some news that there will be some impact, but I’m not sure which way it will lead.”
The inauguration led to various protests and riots in Washington D.C. As Trump was sworn in on Capitol Hill, several rioters vandalized cars and businesses in the city. It was reported by several news outlets covering the inauguration that in total, 95 protesters were arrested near Trump’s inauguration ceremony as of 2 p.m. for vandalism and destruction of property.
In addition, several Women’s Marches occurred across the country in protest of the new president, including one in Champaign.
While Hunt believes the protests are great for individual voices in the country, he dislikes when it turns into violence and destruction. Shen agreed, but noted that it might not make a huge difference.
“It’s a good thing for people to speak their mind. I’m not sure it’s going to change anything, though, because he’s already there,” Shen said.
Karen Liu and Michael Semaca contributed to this report.