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On Monday, Donald Trump was officially sworn in for his second term as President of the United States. As he returns to office, 48 percent of Americans say they have an unfavorable opinion of Trump while 46.4 percent express favorability. That public division in approval is representative of a larger partisan divide which has only grown since Trump was first elected in 2016, with Republicans largely coalescing around Trump as the leader of their party while Democrats vehemently reject Trump and his policies.
Trump’s inauguration once again shined a spotlight on the stark partisan division between the rhetoric, policies, and values of the modern Republican and Democratic parties.
Prominent Democrats, including U.S. Reps. Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, and Ilhan Omar, D-MN, refused to attend Trump’s inauguration as a public display of disapproval aimed at the president and his incoming administration. “I do not celebrate rapists, so no, I’m not going to the inauguration tomorrow,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a video posted to her social media. A 2023 civil case found Trump liable of sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996.
Meanwhile, Republicans, including those from Alabama’s congressional delegation remained largely supportive of the president and vocally celebrated Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
“Welcome back, Mr. President!” tweeted U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., alongside images of Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance at the inauguration ceremony.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., also praised Trump’s return to office. “President Trump is back. The American Dream has a bright future,” she posted to her X account.
The official ALGOP X account also made a post celebrating inauguration day. “Stay tuned to the Alabama Republican Party’s social media for updates and highlights from our nation’s capital as we celebrate this historic day and the swearing in of @realdonaldtrump!” the post reads with an attached image that states, “Time to Make America Great Again.”
U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Ala., also made a post welcoming Trump back to office.
“Today is the day we have been waiting for. Donald J. Trump overcame every attempt by the establishment to stop him. His election came as an overwhelming mandate by the American people –to secure the borders, restore our economy, unleash American energy, and re-establish the United States as a respected world leader,” Strong wrote.
“He did not have to fight through this adversity, but he did,” Strong continued. “Today marks a new beginning. I am honored to serve the people alongside President Donald J. Trump, and I look forward to Making America Great Again. Our time is NOW!!”
Strong also made a post in support of executive orders related to immigration policy which Trump is expected to make soon after returning to office, including: “building the wall,” “designating cartels as terrorist organizations,” “deploying the National Guard to stop border crossings,” “ending an open border with catch-and-release policies,” and “suspending refugee resettlements.” Trump has also promised to issue mass deportations of undocumented immigrants soon after his inauguration.
Civil rights advocacy groups like the American Civil Liberties Union have decried Trump’s immigration agenda, calling the policies “inhumane” and “based on xenophobia and racism.”
Alabama’s two Democratic congresspeople were not as celebratory of Trump’s inauguration as the Republican delegation was. However, neither U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., or Shomari Figures, D-Ala., chose to explicitly criticize the president’s agenda on Inauguration Day, unlike other members of their party.
“Today, we were once again reminded of what sets our nation apart as a beacon of freedom and democracy as we witnessed the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next,” Sewell said in an official statement Monday. “I remain hopeful that the new administration will govern on behalf of all Americans, and I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner, where possible, for the benefit of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District.”
Rep. Figures, meanwhile, did not publicly comment on Trump’s inauguration. Instead, Figures chose to speak in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as the federal holiday celebrating the life and legacy of the historic civil rights leader happened to coincide with Inauguration Day.
“As we celebrate the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I reflect on the lasting impact he made not only on this country and the world but also on the great state of Alabama. I would not be in my position if Dr. King had not marched in Selma, boycotted in Montgomery, and resisted in Birmingham,” Rep. Figures wrote on his X account. “I strive to fulfill the dreams Dr. King spoke of, not just for myself and my family but for all the people of Alabama.”
Rep. Figures did not respond to APR’s request for further comment on President Trump’s inauguration.
