
WASHINGTON – Richel Selestow sipped red wine in her snowy pants and Trump beret, taking a moment to cold down after standing outside in the frosty for several hours.
Selestow, a Washington County supporter, went to the U.S. Capitol on Monday hoping to watch President Donald Trump take the inaugural oath of office inside, but instead she watched on her phone from outside the domed building, in the frosty and under a shining, blue sky.
“It’s all been very confusing, but it’s OK because we’re tough on Trump,” Selestow said at a reception for Pennsylvanians in D.C. at Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar.
The gathering, hosted by GOP members of Congress a few blocks from the Capitol, brought together Trump supporters from across Pennsylvania celebrating the start of the fresh administration and their role in helping him win a critical battleground — even those from traditionally Democratic strongholds like Philadelphia.
“Philadelphia has become much redder and we are very proud of that,” said Xavier Devereaux, who lives in West Philadelphia and said he worked in the city on the Trump campaign. Devereaux was a longtime Democrat who switched parties in 2024. Trump is the first Republican he has endorsed for president.
Trump’s victory in Pennsylvania meant reclaiming the state for his supporters and, they hope, continuing the right-wing trend.
The day was filled with references to Pennsylvania, which was a particular focus of Trump’s campaign. First responders from Butler took part in Trump’s inaugural parade on Monday night, paying tribute to the life of Corey Comperatore, 50, a Buffalo Township firefighter who was fatally shot during an attempted assassination of Trump in July in western Pennsylvania.
Police officers and paramedics who responded to Trump’s assassination marched through the Capital One Arena on Monday, after which a moment of silence was observed for Comperatore.
Trump referenced that day in his inaugural speech, calling it divine intervention that he survived.
“Just a few months ago, in a beautiful field in Pennsylvania, an assassin’s bullet pierced my ear,” Trump said during his remarks. “But I felt then, and I believe even more now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.”
Fitzpatrick is not a fan of January 6. Sorry
Several members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation gathered around, most of them praising the speech they had just heard in the Capitol Rotunda.
“It was true. Definitely inspiring, that’s Trump,” said U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, who represents the Ninth District, which begins east of Harrisburg and reaches the New York border. “There’s nothing fake about it.”
“I think he did a decent job,” U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said of Trump’s speech.
Fitzpatrick, who represents Bucks County, has built a political brand on moderation and a reputation for independence. His relationship with Trump is complicated.
Trump endorsed Fitzpatrick in 2020, but the representative dodged questions at the time about whether he supported the former president. Fitzpatrick was the only Pennsylvania Republican in Congress to vote to certify President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020, but he also voted against both of Trump’s impeachments – including after the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Fitzpatrick said he looks forward to meeting with Trump and working with him on issues that can benefit the First District and foster “unification.”
But asked about Trump’s plan to pardon some defendants on Jan. 6, Fitzpatrick replied, “I’m not a fan of pardons, period,” noting that he also opposed Biden’s decision to grant blanket pardons to family members early Monday before leaving office. .
“I am a career FBI agent. I just don’t like pardons,” Fitzpatrick said. “I saw the pardons that came out this morning, I don’t like them either.”
Near the party, Michael Giannetta posed for photos with his 11-year-old son Michael Jr., wearing a suit with a red tie and a red MAGA hat. A father and son from the Scranton area also attended the Republican National Convention.
“This is a chance to turn the situation around in the country and take it in a completely different, new, good direction,” the elder Giannetta said. “There are so many problems that I really think only Trump can deal with.”
His son, who is in fifth grade, chimed in: “I’m so relieved that this nightmare is finally over.”