The inauguration of a president of the United States, no matter how heated the campaign, no matter what the politics or personality of the man being sworn in, is always an impressive spectacle. Not everyone is greeting the Trump inauguration with joy, however. The night before Donald Trump was sworn in, a group of anti-Trump activists rioted outside one of the unofficial balls, called artfully the DeploraBall.
The rioters set off smoke bombs and attacked passersby. The police eventually responded with pepper spray. However, one of the more eyebrow raising scenes occurred when a Fox New correspondent who had set a fire at the riot.
When asked why he had done it, the boy responded with an expletive about “the president,” presuming Trump and not the man who was still POTUS at that point, Barack Obama.
From Hollywood stars crying at awards ceremonies about the incoming Trump terror to members of Congress boycotting the swearing-in ceremony, some of the reaction to the new president had seemed to be over the top. To be sure, every president has come to power with a great many Americans wishing that he was not, but the current reaction seems as vehement in many ways as what greeted Abraham Lincoln when he first came to the presidency. And that event was a prelude to a bloody civil war.
Civil war is not likely to happen in the 21st Century.
Despite some rumblings in California, the economic consequences to a state trying to leave the Union are too dire for any to seriously attempt it. However, the Trump presidency, whether they last four or eight years, promise to be tumultuous ones.
On the other hand, nothing could be quite as much of a balm for public discontent as Trump succeeding in his agenda.
Nothing would bring more joy than four percent economic growth with the accompanying job creation. Ronald Reagan came into power the first time as a controversial figure. Four years later, in a booming economy, he won 49 states. All Trump has to do is to replicate that success. No pressure.
