Washington DC residents plan to leave city ahead of Trump inauguration

Trump supporters, on the other hand, are preparing for the event, with hotels in the city reporting nearly 70 per cent occupancy. Room rates are fetching between $900 and $1,500 per night, reflecting the influx of visitors for the inauguration festivities.

Tia Butler, another DC resident, is also leaving the city. She plans to spend the weekend in California after considering the emotional toll of remaining in Washington. “It says to me that we’d rather have a criminal leading our country than a person of color, or a criminal rather than a woman,” Butler said. She recalled her unease during past events, including the January 6 Capitol riot and encounters with protesters after the 2020 election.

Trump’s views on Washington, DC, have been widely noted. During his campaign, he described the capital as “filthy and crime ridden,” and he has vowed to overhaul the city’s political establishment.

His first presidency was marked by limited engagement with the cultural and political life of DC, with Trump opting to avoid events like the Kennedy Center Honors and the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Houston-based physician June Williams Colman had initially planned to travel to DC for a potential Kamala Harris inauguration. She recalled the excitement in Martha’s Vineyard when Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election and threw his support behind Harris. “It was such a powerful moment,” Colman said.

However, with the election outcome, Colman has decided to cancel her plans and will instead spend the weekend in Lake Tahoe with her daughter. Reflecting on past events, Colman noted, “In 2016 when Hillary [Clinton] lost, we still came to DC in 2017 because they had the Women’s March. It was so exciting, and I really wanted my daughter to see that. But it’s not the same now.”

(With inputs from The Guardian)