Washington DC: A Democratic city hosting a Republican’s celebrationspublished at 10:31 Greenwich Mean Time
Caitlin Wilson
Reporting from Washington DC
Though Washington DC is home to the US federal government’s operations for Americans of every political persuasion, the permanent residents of this city overwhelmingly support the Democrats.
The capital city's mayors have all been Democrats since the job was created in the 1970s, and more than 80% of DC voters have chosen Democrats since the 1960s.
In November’s election, more than 90% of voters in the city ticked their ballots for Kamala Harris, while just 6% chose Donald Trump.
That means that every few years, Democratic DC residents are joined in their city by a president, administration and political appointees with whom they vehemently disagree - and many of those residents could lose their jobs as the politics of the federal government flip.
That tension can ramp up during inauguration weekend, when hundreds of thousands of a new president’s fans visit to party and revel in their candidate’s victory.
With the District’s public schools and many workplaces closed for Monday’s events anyway, some Washingtonian Democrats have chosen to leave town for the long weekend, hoping to avoid an influx of ardent Trump-supporting tourists.
For those who are sticking around and tourists alike, some bars and restaurants are offering inauguration food and drink specials, such as the “$47 for 47” meal and “Dry January, Wet Inauguration” cocktail deal.