The lovely Charlene and I have returned from our adventures in D.C. To say the trip left an impression is an understatement. Over the years, we’ve had some unique opportunities to attend spectacular events. We’ve been present for history-making moments in politics, foreign policy, and military service. We danced at the balls and heard the speeches.
Oftentimes those past moments involved simply being in the right place at the right time for the right reasons with the right people.
But the inaugural events in D.C. were different. We wanted to be there. Like so many thousands of others, it seemed important to be in the nation’s capital and watch history unfold in person.
So, we went. It did not disappoint.
Hotel living ain’t grand. Every Uber ride was upcharged. Street closures meant walking the last mile everywhere. We went to D.C. with tickets to two balls, the inauguration, the governor’s prayer breakfast, the Trump rally, and the victory parade. We arrived to find everything had changed. The inauguration was inside, the rally and the parade were first-come-first-serve, and the weather … wow.
Security was unreal. Thousands of National Guard, police, Border Patrol, Secret Service and more manned every street corner and lamppost. Movement was restricted. Crowds were thick. Cold was pervasive.
But yet, there was still a magical feeling in the air. Throngs of people everywhere wore Trump hats and MAGA jackets. There were outbreaks of spontaneous applause and back-slapping. The air in D.C. was different. The mood was electric.
Memories were made that could only have come from actually being there. We dressed in our finery at formal balls and enjoyed being among others who were likewise just glad to be present. We met with friends and colleagues from Alabama for Gov. Ivey’s prayer breakfast where praise and worship broke out.
I made a new friend from Alaska as both of our wives shopped for clothes we didn’t know they needed. Alaska and Alabama are worlds apart, but we saw things the same.
We laughed with friends over dinner at Filomena’s in Georgetown as half the restaurant broke out in chants of “USA! USA!”
For the inauguration itself, we joined a small watch party at the office of U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville). It wound up being one of the best moments of the trip as folks stood, sat, and sprawled out on his floor to watch the swearing-in of the new administration. It was almost an emotional event as Chief Justice Roberts finally said, “Congratulations, Mr. President!” The room broke out in cheers, laughter, high fives and handshakes. Immediately after the ceremony I filmed – from the perfect vantage point at the Aderholt’s window – as Marine One lifted off, flew past the American flag and around the dome of the Capitol to take the Bidens away. I was mindful of the New English Translation of Isaiah 41:12, which says, “When you will look for your opponents, you will not find them; your enemies will be reduced to absolutely nothing.” Yes indeed.
Perhaps most significant were the first words spoken in the new Trump presidency as he delivered his acceptance speech. It was a speech for the ages, and as I stood in Aderholt’s office, I had to take notes. The points made were everything we’ve been looking for. He promised that God, country, family and common sense were coming back. In a speech that pulled no punches, Trump vowed that “the golden age of America begins right now.”
It struck me that Trump appeared relaxed and resolute, saying everything he wanted to say without concern for the mood of those sitting to his left. His opponents tried to kill him, destroy his character, ruin his business and disrupt his family. I reflected that he now had a table prepared for him in the presence of his enemies.
He called out the crisis at the southern border, the weaponization of government, lawfare, economic ruin, and more. He said that the turnaround time begins right now.
“We will not forget our country, we will not forget our Constitution, and we will not forget our God.” He labeled it all as the revolution of common sense while describing how we would once again act with the vigor of being the greatest nation. There were aspirational quotes about manifest destiny, and planting the American flag on the planet of Mars. He remarked on our national history from westward expansion, to the splitting of the atom, and launching mankind into the heavens. “If we work together,” he said, “there is nothing we cannot do and no dream we cannot achieve. … In America the impossible is what we do best.”
But his closing quotes were perhaps the most electric. “After all we have been through together, we stand on the verge of the four greatest years in American history,” he said. “We are one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God. So, to every parent who dreams for their child and every child who dreams for the future, I am with you, I will fight for you, and I will win for you. We are going to win like never before.”
He continued:
We will be prosperous. We will be proud. We will be strong, and we will win like never before.
We will not be conquered. We will not be intimidated. We will not be broken, and we will not fail. From this day on, the United States of America will be a free, sovereign and independent nation.
We will stand bravely, we will live proudly, we will dream boldly, and nothing will stand in our way because we are Americans. The future is ours, and our golden age has just begun.
Am I tired today? Darn right. I need a vacation.
Am I glad I went? Darn right. I would do it again. This was real history, and we are in the middle of it.
So, bring on the golden age of America! Let’s do this.
To contact Phil or request him for a speaking engagement, go to www.rightsideradio.org.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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