Historic Trump inauguration creates mixed feelings

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Historic Trump inauguration draws mixed feelings

Protesters and supporters alike participated in the historic inauguration of Donald Trump in Washington Friday. Many Bay Area local traveled across the country to be part of the event in some way.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- A historic night is set to close Friday. President Donald Trump and his family are spending their first night in the White House.

FULL VIDEO: President Trump's inauguration speech

It was a very busy day for the president, with both pomp and circumstance, and getting right to work.

People from all across the country, including many from the Bay Area flocked to DC to protest in Saturday's women's march. As many as 20,000 people are expected to be there.

Organizers say the goal is to tell the new administration that on day one, women's rights are just human rights. The event is not just limited to women. Men are welcome too.

"Personally, I have been waiting for a place to plug in, some universal way," said Morgan Shilder from Oakland. "In some national way."

There were protests Friday, some turning violent. Not everyone is protesting, many are celebrating and looking forward to the change President Trump is promising to bring.

Hundreds of thousands witnessed his swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol. The festivities were capped off with three official inaugural balls.

At the Liberty Ball, the president had a few comments about the weather on his big day. "The crowd was unbelievable today. I looked at the rain, which just never came, you know, we finished the speech, went inside, it poured then we came outside," he said. "The helicopter scene was an incredible scene, and then, amazingly it rained--like God was looking down on us."

President Trump also signed his first executive order Friday for federal agencies to ease the burden of former president Barack Obama's sweeping healthcare law.

It comes after congress voted for a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

We met a lot of people from the Bay Area who traveled 3,000 miles to be in Washington.

One man from Orinda has a message for those who do not support the president. "They need to give him a chance. America needs to change. He's going to bring the change, some of it they'll like, some of it they may not like," said Steve Lucas. "But they gotta give him a chance. I think he'll be a great president."

A new era was ushered in with some old traditions. President Trump and first Lady Melania made the rounds at the inaugural balls.

The 45th President of the United States was sworn into office, then shared with the cheering crowd, "From this day forward, it's going to be only America first."

Former President Obama left for vacation in Palm Springs after moving out of the White House. He left a note for his successor and words for the American people. "I could not be prouder of you," he said. "This has been the privilege of my life."

Protesters clashed with police in the streets of Washington. They did not stop the work from starting, or the thousands of supporters from lining Pennsylvania Avenue for the inaugural parade honoring the new president.