GREENFIELD — While protests and riots popped up throughout the nation as Donald Trump was sworn in as the United States’ 45th president, a small group of like-minded people convened to celebrate the start of a new administration.
Members of the Greenfield Republican Town Committee organized an unaffiliated get-together for invited guests to share a meal and catch up. There was a potluck dinner and someone set up a laptop with C-SPAN so people could watch the pomp and circumstance of Inauguration Day. About 17 friends and supporters had shown up by 7 p.m.
Vice-Chairman David Lewis started the event with a prayer.
“Our Heavenly Father, we pray that this country … under our new president, that we will be able to heal and that we will be able to unify and bring our country back together,” he said before adding a few words about America’s service members and military families.
“Hey, Dave,” Isaac Mass chimed in, “make sure you pray for (Democratic U.S. Rep.) Nancy Pelosi, she’s going to need it.”
The inauguration did not necessarily dominate every conversation at 1 Elm Terrace, as some people talked about their lives and about the history of the Republican Party in the area. A few people mentioned how they didn’t vote for Trump, but rather for the Libertarian Party ticket of Gary Johnson and William Weld.
Lewis said he voted for Trump in the November election, but initially supported Ohio Gov. John Kasich. He said job growth is the most important issue for him.
“I’m tickled to death,” Lewis said, while people helped themselves to food like meatloaf and cold cuts. “(Trump) is a businessman. And, for too long, this country has been run like it was a hobby, as far as I’m concerned. He’s getting all these guys that are multi-millionaires and billionaires, and I’ve had some people from the other side complaining. … Well, these guys were successful in their own businesses. They made millions of dollars. They must have done something right, and they’re willing to give back to the country that they got their fortunes from.”
He said he also wants Trump to revisit trade agreements.
Bobbi Newman of Royalston said she wants “to see America brought back to where it was.” She said she would like to see political correctness release its grip on the country.
“I don’t mind having people come to our country. I love when people come to our country,” Newman said. “Do it the right way, though.”
Trump’s rhetoric about immigration reform gained him significant support.
Ann Reed was invited to the celebration because she is the former chairwoman of the Orange Republican Town Committee, though she is no longer affiliated with it. She said she is staunchly against abortion and began to support Trump after he expressed pro-life views.
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