New England Republicans fete Trump's inauguration, while Democrats fret

President Trump's supporters celebrated Monday as he was sworn in for a second time, many of them hailing his promises to eject immigrants here without legal status and his claims of bringing a "golden age" to America.

"President Trump is like Superman," said Chris Ager, chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party. "Two assassination attempts, two impeachments, 34 indictments, the other cases — all of that. And he wins the popular vote, based on everything that was thrown at him. He's indestructible."

Ager described the upbeat feeling among the GOP: " The enthusiasm is electric, and there's a lot of optimism." He said that optimism stems from what happened in 2016, when, "a lot of things went well, but a lot of things did not. And it just feels and looks like the mechanisms are in place to have a more productive presidency, and help the average person better."

The enthusiasm did not appear to be dampened by Trump's dark view of the country in his inaugural speeches, which were laden with insults for his predecessors, boasts about the future and some false claims about election results.

Joe Romano, a Trump supporter from Wilmington, Mass., who runs an appliance repair business, said he hopes Trump can succeed in applying tariffs to foreign countries and shrinking the government.

"I mean, it's just so big. It's unnecessary. Push things back to the states," Romano said.

Romano is worried Trump will face pushback from a number of quarters, including for his plan to clamp down on illegal immigration. But overall Romano is hopeful, he said.

"Twenty, 30 years from now, the history books, the movies, it's going to be incredible what's written about these times," he said of Trump's return.

Another supporter of Trump's immigration priorities is Tom Hodgson, the former Bristol Country sheriff who chaired the Trump campaign in Massachusetts. Hodgson was celebrating in Washington on Monday, despite the disappointment that Trump's inauguration was held indoors due to the cold weather.

"[He's] focused on putting the right people in the right places to focus not on the politics, but on the things that matter to the average person," Hodgson said.

Hodgson said he expects Trump to return America to "a place of prosperity" with greater border security.

In a statement, MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale congratulated Trump, calling his inauguration "a moment of renewed hope for our Commonwealth and our country." She said voters sent a message they want "a secure border, an economy where prices stabilize and wages rise, and businesses that are free to prosper," and emphasized the party's support for deporting "criminal illegal immigrants."

Not everyone was in a festive mood Monday. Many Democratic voters skipped watching the inaugural address, and three members of the Massachusetts delegation did not attend.

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley stayed away from Washington and instead hosted a community event in Roxbury to celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Asked by reporters for her reaction to Trump's speech, Pressley said she would fight to protect the rights of immigrants, the LGBTQ community and others whom she said could be harmed by Trump's policies.

In one of a series of announcements Monday aimed at rolling back Biden-era policies, Trump said the federal government would recognize just two genders, male and female. That news came as about 100 people gathered in front of the Massachusetts State House with megaphones and signs painted blue and pink, advocating for trans rights.

Nich McCaskill, president of Trans Resistance MA, said he wasn't surprised by Trump's promise to roll back federal protections for trans people.

"This is why we're here, to make sure community knows not to fear what's going on, and that we will do everything we can to make sure they are supported," he said.

McCaskill said the state needs to stand by public accommodations for the trans community and continue to allow people to identify as nonbinary on official documents.

Immigrant advocates were girding Monday for Trump's promised executive actions or orders related to migrants. Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the MIRA Coalition, in a statement said, "This is a dark day for America. This country is a nation of immigrants who work tirelessly day in and day out to provide a better life for themselves, their families and generations to come." She said the group was determined to stand up for the rights of immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts and across the country.

Gov. Maura Healey, who attended Martin Luther King Jr. events in Boston and Springfield on Monday, is under pressure to curtail the flow of immigrants to Massachusetts and has publicly urged the federal government to secure the border. In her recent State of the Commonwealth address, she pledged that the state won't "change who we are."