The Carter Family goes to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration

By: Kelley Carter, mother of Miles Carter, current MCS 3rd grader

“We initially had reserved tickets for the inauguration through Ohio’s congressman Warren Davidson. We were so excited to be able to witness the swearing in ceremony from the grounds of the capitol building.

We left for DC on Friday afternoon, and while we were still on the road we received an email that due to weather the president had moved the inauguration indoors to the Capitol Rotunda, and that our tickets were now commemorative only. We were so disappointed but decided to still continue and participate in whatever capacity we could. They announced that they would be opening the Capital One Arena for a viewing of the ceremony followed by the inaugural parade with President Trump and Vice President Vance in attendance. Initially 250,000 people had reserved tickets for the inauguration however the arena only held 20,000 people meaning that only 8% of the originally issued ticket holders would be able to still participate in the inauguration event. It wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that they announced that they were opening it up as a first come first serve ticket. On Monday morning we got up at 4:30 am to catch the metro into the city. We got to our spot in the line at 5:45 am. The temperature was 20 degrees. The doors for the arena opened at 8 am and the line slowly began to move as people were making their way through security. Based on the amount of people we had passed we knew that we were not guaranteed entry but remained hopeful. At 11am we made it to the security checkpoint and after an extensive search we were given our tickets to go inside. We had made it! The rest of the day was so surreal. We got to view the following ceremonial events via screens:

  • Swearing-In Ceremony
  • Farewell to the Former President and Vice President
  • US Capitol Departure Ceremony
  • The President’s Review of the Troops

While the president and VP were at the congressional luncheon we heard live speakers such as Elon Musk, Sara Huckabee Sanders, Kellyanne Conway, Deputy Chief of StaffDan Scavino, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Kash Patel, Charlie Kirk, and RNC chair Michael Whatley.

The president, VP and distinguished guests arrived around 5:15 pm. The crowd cheered as they made their way down the stairs that led to the stage shaking hands of attendees along the way.

Marching bands including the Middletown Middies paraded around the arena floor in front of the presidential viewing area as part the indoor inaugural parade.

After the parade, family members of people taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel were invited on stage. Trump shook their hands and they stood behind him as he spoke to the crowd. He then moved to a small wooden desk setup on the stage with the presidential seal attached, where he signed a series of executive orders.

Although different than expected, getting to experience the inauguration of President Trump and Vice President Vance in person is something we will never forget. We were able to witness history in a way that few people get to do. It gave us a new perspective and education on how government works and the associated processes. It no longer was just a newspaper article or a report on TV. We got to experience it by being a part of it. That’s a surreal feeling.”

To read more about their experience, check out an article published in the Journal News by clicking HERE!