She got her first Trump shirt at age 2. Now she’s celebrating Trump’s inauguration at a Newtown party.
Sienna James, 10, wore a big black T-shirt that stated “PRO-LIFE PRO-GUN PRO-GOD PRO-TRUMP.”
The snow on Monday made perfect sledding conditions. But 10-year-old Sienna James wanted to attend an inauguration party at the Newtown Sports and Events Center in Bucks County instead of going sledding with her sister.
She wore her hair pulled back in two red, white, and blue Donald Trump-branded bows, which were at times covered by her Trump-branded winter hat topped with a big pom-pom.
Raised a Trump supporter, Sienna wore a big black T-shirt that stated: “PRO-LIFE PRO-GUN PRO-GOD PRO-TRUMP.”
Her mom, Cynthia Suder, 56, said those phrases are “hugely important to me, which is probably why they’re important to her.” But Suder, of Middletown Township, said she has seven children who hold varying political views.
“I’m a Catholic, and I believe in pro-life,” Suder said. “That’s perfect for me. It works for me. It’s a decision that I had to make in my life. But if someone chooses differently than me, I don’t judge them, and I’m not trying to take that opportunity away from them. I just personally don’t want to pay for it. That’s kind of where I draw the line.”
Sienna got her first Trump shirt in 2016, at age 2. She said Trump protects her rights and her country, and she felt sad when someone shot him.
She thinks Trump is funny, too.
“He would definitely crack a lot of kids up,” Sienna said.
Sienna, her mom, and other Trump supporters filled a large room for the inauguration at the Newtown site, which shares a campus with the Newtown Athletic Club and Newtown Discovery Preschool.
Trump lawn signs were for sale, along with a QR code to volunteer for Bucks County Votes, a group chaired by sports center owner Jim Worthington, a staunch Trump supporter.
Radio commentators broadcast from the front of the room as attendees intently watched Trump speak on televisions around them.
During his speech, the room was quiet, with the exception of cheers, claps, and laughs. Some snacked on chips, pretzels, and wraps.
During the inauguration programming, Sienna asked her mom questions — like why was she crying when she saw Melania Trump on the TV. (“I love Melania, and I think she’s beautiful, and I’m happy to see her come back into the White House,” Suder said. “That’s an emotional thing for me, not necessarily political.”)
Some of Sienna’s friends have similar views, but some have different political opinions, so she avoids the subject so they don’t get upset, Sienna said. She said she likes her friends because “they’re nice and kind,” not because of whom they vote for.
But Sienna doesn’t shy away from expressing her support for Trump. When she was asked to dress like someone she admired in school in third grade, she dressed like him.
Other attendees, mostly adults, were delighted to see the young girl all decked-out. She was in good company, with various styles of Trump hats in the room. While the crowd as a whole wasn’t quite as decorated as a crowd at a Trump rally, one man certainly was.
Nick Destephanis, 54, sported red sunglasses and wore a Trump flag as a cape.
Destephanis, of Chalfont, said that as a certified public accountant he always thought the economy would be his first priority, but in reality, he thinks closing the border and “making America secure again” is most important.
“I’m very patriotic,” he said. “I’m a little bit overwhelmed right now with a lot of emotion. It was exciting to be here with some fellow supporters and to celebrate the great country that we do live in and the great country we can get it back to.”
Another attendee, Greg Small, wore a red Make America Great Again hat and T-shirt that said: “It’s gonna take an outlaw and a hillbilly to fix this.”
“This term is going to be majorly different, because he learned his lessons, and this term he has people that he has nominated for his staff that are great, intelligent, and they’re American first, and it’s time we get our country back,” said Small, 70, of Hamilton, N.J.
Small, who used to work in construction management, criticized initiatives for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; illegal immigration; and vaccine mandates. He said he and his wife were turned away from volunteering at a hospital with their therapy dog because they aren’t vaccinated for COVID-19.
Sarah Lipsius, 64, of Yardley, was all smiles as she sported “Trump chick” and “women for Trump” buttons on her red vest . She said that there is “hope” now that Trump is president and that she was happy to hear him speak about closing the border, supporting Israel, drilling for oil, reducing crime, and “standing up for lawfulness rather than lawlessness.”
Lipsius said Trump “proved himself” when he was president and would “do even better this time.” She lauded his deportation plan and expected day-one executive orders.
“Trump stands for just about everything that I would like to see happen in the future, and we’re so lucky that he has won given all the obstacles that he encountered,” said Lipsius, a retired biostatistician for the pharmaceutical industry.