Trump inauguration: Two Americas in 24 hours
- Published
In the space of 24 hours, Washington was the scene of two Americas.
President Trump's supporters came feeling they've just taken their country back.
The protesters on the women's march feel they have just lost theirs. It is that stark.
The mood at the march was determinedly cheerful, there were men, children and lots and lots of women. Grandmothers teaching their granddaughters the political ropes.
But the underlying message was clear - liberal America has just been shoved out of power.
These marches were enormous and they came out in cities across the country to repudiate not just Donald Trump, but his whole world view.
They didn't just protest about women's issues, there were also signs addressing his positions on climate change, healthcare and Muslims.
Carmen Perez, Gloria Steinem, Linda Sarsour and (front row) Mia Ives-Rublee
Can they change President Trump's agenda? Probably not.
But approval ratings matter - they are a form of political capital and when this many people really dislike the new president, that makes it harder for him to persuade members of Congress to support him on difficult issues.
The polls show us that Mr Trump is the most unpopular new president in American history. Those are the facts.
These marches put faces to those numbers.