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Divided New Englanders Travel To Washington, D.C., For Trump's Inauguration

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Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump walk along Pennsylvania Avenue Thursday after it was closed down to thru-traffic as security tightens ahead of the presidential inauguration. (John Minchillo/AP)
Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump walk along Pennsylvania Avenue Thursday after it was closed down to thru-traffic as security tightens ahead of the presidential inauguration. (John Minchillo/AP)

WASHINGTON — Protesters and supporters of President-elect Donald Trump from around New England are arriving in Washington, D.C., in anticipation of Donald Trump's inauguration Friday.

It's a divided country, and the New Englanders traveling to D.C. are as divided as everyone else on the last full day of the Obama administration.

Stephen Matthis and Laura Mason traveled from Durham, New Hampshire. They had planned to come to the inauguration before Donald Trump was elected. It was a way for their son to earn a National Park Junior Ranger badge.

"We were actually Bernie Sanders supporters, then Clinton supporters," Mason said Thursday at Reagan National Airport. "We were very disappointed when Trump won, and said we were not even going to go to the inauguration. We were going to give up our flight, give up our hotel, and then we found out about the march, and he still wanted to do the Junior Ranger badge.

"Everyday, it just gets crazier and crazier, and I don't understand why people aren't more concerned," Mason added.

"Everybody who's been appointed, they're horrible," Matthis said. "They're underinformed."

They plan to protest on Saturday.

At the city's grand Roman revival train terminal, Union Station, steps from where President-elect Trump is to be inaugurated Friday, Lou Murray is much more optimistic. A fervent Trump supporter, Murray says he is looking forward to the inauguration.

"There's something about a populist. He appeals to Democrats, independents, Republicans, and he brought out people that voted that had never voted in their life," Murray said. "Being a guy who's worked in a lot of campaigns, I was excited about the potential for working for a conservative populist who could get America back on track, reduce regulations, reduce taxes, improve access to opportunity to succeed."

Like many families in America, the Murrays are still somewhat divided. Murray says he has a sister-in-law who is still for Clinton and who will not be attending the inauguration. But, everyone else, he says, has gotten on board the Trump train.

This segment aired on January 19, 2017.

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Fred Thys Reporter
Fred Thys reported on politics and higher education for WBUR.

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