Americans Gather In Washington, D.C., For Inauguration Day

People around the country reacted to President Trump's inaugural address that he delivered after the swearing in ceremony at the Capitol on Friday.

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

We want to take a moment to hear from Americans in other parts of the country about what they thought about President Trump's inaugural address. We'll start in Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount College where several hundred people gathered to watch the event on one huge screen in the auditorium.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Zachary Hayes is a senior from Chicago who voted for Mr. Trump. He called Trump's speech inspiring.

ZACHARY HAYES: It was the culmination of his movement in which he wants to take back the White House from special interests and make sure that average citizens' voices are heard again and that they're not ignored. That struck a tone with me because I feel like my voice hasn't been heard.

SIEGEL: Aoife Tejada is a freshman at Loyola Marymount. She thought the new president hit some of the right notes.

AOIFE TEJADA: I think that saying that he wants it to be in the American people's hands, he wants the government to be run by the people kind of helped everyone's fears settle a little bit with this address because it is his first address as president.

I do think that some of the things that he said were somewhat broad. And one of the problems I have with Donald Trump is that he never kind of gives a solution to a problem that he addresses.

MCEVERS: In Hamilton, Mont., the TV is always on at a diner called BJ's. Several people watched the inauguration there during breakfast. Matthew Locati was raised in a conservative Republican home. He voted for Obama in 2008, but this time around, he voted for Trump. Locati hopes President Trump follows through with his campaign promises like stopping illegal immigration and getting rid of NAFTA. As for today's speech...

MATTHEW LOCATI: He's not the greatest orator, but I think he'll follow through with everything that he has said. I guess I like more of the direction than his actual words. It seems like there is real intent and passion behind what he's saying.

MCEVERS: Zach Strain was also at the diner. He's from Corvallis, Mont., and trains horses.

ZACH STRAIN: I was glad he mentioned God and connected him to the people of America. So I think if everybody obeys God, then it will heal America.

SIEGEL: In Ohio, Diassante Malike Greene is a 17-year-old who attends Cleveland Heights High School. He's not a voter yet, but he has an opinion. He says Trump's speech was not very presidential.

DIASSANTE MALIKE GREENE: I feel like he should have addressed more of him being in the office and, like, becoming the president and just how that feels and the experience of it and all that.

MCEVERS: Brady Blair was at work today in Louisville, Ky. But he still managed to catch the swearing in of the 45th president.

BRADY BLAIR: In between trying to work and watch the inauguration, most of what I heard was about unity, which with, like, all the drama and gossip about Trump, I think that was really, like, good stance on, like, his end to try to say, like, hey, I know you guys think this of me, but I really do want to try and stand for unity amongst races and different backgrounds of people.

So I thought it was (laughter) - I mean, like, don't get me wrong. I really don't like Trump, and I'm not excited for the next four years, especially as a gay individual. But I'm going to give him a chance.

MCEVERS: That's Brady Blair, just one of the voices from across the country today reflecting on President Donald Trump's inaugural address.

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