HARLINGEN — Short on sunshine but long on what she called “positive energy,” Norlene Chamberlain of Harlingen was pretty pumped up less than two hours after watching President Donald Trump take his oath of office yesterday.
“There was such a feeling of positive energy and people were so happy,” Chamberlain said in a telephone interview from the nation’s capital under gray skies and a slight drizzle
“You know me, I talk to everybody,” she said. “There were so many people there who were from all over the country — Philadelphia, New York, some from Florida.
“A man offered us snacks because we were out there in the morning, and another man gave us hand warmers,” she said, describing a day with temperatures at a chilly 43 degrees. “It was like everybody was friends. You don’t usually see that in huge crowds like that.”
On Thursday night, at least some of the pomp and pageantry connected to the inaugural events belonged to Texas. Although the Texas State Society’s Black Tie & Boots ball wasn’t one of the sanctioned events, it nevertheless attracted around 11,000 people.
“It was the largest crowd I have ever been in,” said Minerva Simpson of Harlingen. “Women were wearing boots with their gowns, and it was just amazing.”
Despite being unofficial, Chamberlain said Donald Trump Jr. showed up around 1 a.m.
“He and his wife and child came and put on Texas boots and Texas suspenders, and he said they wanted to make a point to tell 11,000 Texans and all of Texas that they were so proud, and they were going to support us,” she said.
“Even though it was late, they just wanted to say thanks to Texas,” one of the 30 states Trump won, Chamberlain said.
Both Chamberlain and Simpson said they felt completely safe and secure while in the capital and that they saw no protesters.
“There was one lady who got up when Mr. Trump was getting ready to make his speech and she had a big pink sign,” Chamberlain said. “The police went over there to talk with her and she left nicely with the police.”
If the capital police showed no signs of strain or stress during the big day, Simpson couldn’t say the same, since her interview was conducted on Chamberlain’s mobile phone.
“I took so many pictures and videos, and all sorts of stuff, I kind of drained it out,” Simpson said of her own phone.
The whirlwind of inauguration events continued for the Harlingen duo later yesterday and they planned to return today, bringing back memories of participating in a historic day for the nation.
“It was awe-inspiring today,” Simpson said. “Everything we went to was not overdrawn, it was concise and to the point.
“And I think that’s the way our president is going to be — to the point,” Simpson added. “And that’s something that I just love.”
