Pennsylvanians in Washington cheer Donald Trump’s return to White House
Some Pennsylvanians who traveled for Trump's inauguration were left out in the cold Monday, but they still had warm feelings about the new president.
WASHINGTON — Richel Selestow sipped red wine in her snow pants and Trump beret, taking a moment to thaw from standing for several hours outside in the cold.
Selestow, a supporter from Washington County, went to the U.S. Capitol on Monday in hopes of getting to see President Donald Trump take the inauguration oath of office inside but watched instead on her phone from outside the domed building in the cold, under sunny blue skies.
“Everything was so confusing, but it’s OK because we’re Trump tough,” Selestow said at a reception for Pennsylvanians in D.C at Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar.
The gathering, hosted by the state’s GOP members of Congress a few blocks from Capitol Hill, brought together Trump supporters from across Pennsylvania celebrating the start of the new administration and their role in helping win the critical battleground state — even those from traditionally Democratic strongholds like Philadelphia.
“Philadelphia got a lot redder and we’re very proud of that,” said Xavier Devereaux, who lives in West Philadelphia, and said he worked on the Trump campaign in the city. Devereaux was a longtime Democrat who switched parties in 2024. Trump is the first Republican he has supported for president.
Trump’s victory in Pennsylvania marked a reclaiming of the state for his supporters and what they hope is a continued rightward trend.
The day was filled with references to Pennsylvania, which Trump focused his campaign on intently. First responders from Butler participated in Trump’s inaugural parade Monday evening, paying tribute to the life of Corey Comperatore, 50, the Buffalo Township firefighter who was fatally shot during the assassination attempt against Trump in the western Pennsylvania town in July.
Police officers and EMTs who responded to the attempt on Trump’s life paraded through the Capital One Arena on Monday, before a moment of silence was held to honor Comperatore.
And Trump brought the day up in his inaugural address, calling it divine intervention that he survived.
“Just a few months ago in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear,” Trump said during his remarks. “But I felt then, and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.”
Fitzpatrick not a fan of Jan 6. pardons
Several members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation mingled around, most lauding the speech they had just heard in the Capitol Rotunda.
“It was truthful. Definitely inspirational, that’s Trump,” said U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, who represents the Ninth District, which begins east of Harrisburg and extends to the border with New York. “There’s nothing phony about him.”
“I think he did a decent job,” U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said of Trump’s address.
Fitzpatrick, who represents Bucks County, has built a political brand on moderation and a reputation on independence. His relationship with Trump has been complicated.
Trump endorsed Fitzpatrick in 2020, but the representative skirted questions then on whether he was backing the former president. Fitzpatrick was the sole Pennsylvania Republican in Congress to vote to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, but he also voted against both of Trump’s impeachments — including in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Fitzpatrick said he looked forward to meeting with Trump and working with him on issues that can benefit the First District and foster “unification.”
Asked about Trump’s plan to pardon some Jan. 6 defendants, though, Fitzpatrick said, “I’m not a fan of pardons, period,” noting that he also opposed f Biden’s decision to issue blanket pardons for family members early Monday before leaving office.
“I’m a career FBI agent. I just don’t like pardons,” Fitzpatrick said. “I saw the pardons that came out this morning, I don’t like them, either.”
Nearby at the reception, Michael Giannetta posed for photographs with his 11-year-old son, Michael Jr., who was dressed in a suit with a red tie and red MAGA hat. The father and son, from near Scranton, also attended the Republican National Convention.
”This is the chance to turn the country around and take it in an entirely different, new, good direction,” said the elder Giannetta “There’s just so many problems that I really think only Trump can tackle.”
His son, who is in fifth grade, chimed in: “I was absolutely just so relieved that this nightmare is finally over.”