JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Tammeria Ibrahim and Lucas Slick both joined the Trump Force 47 volunteer group during last year’s presidential election, attended rallies, offered campaign support and encouraged people to vote for Republican Donald Trump.
Ibrahim, Slick and supporters from across the country are now preparing to converge in Washington, D.C., on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, to see Trump sworn in as the nation’s 47th president.
“I think it’s going to be fun,” said Ibrahim, an Upper Yoder Township resident. “I think it’s going to be a good time. I think spirits are going to be really up.
“People are excited. People are excited to do something different than what we had the last four years. I think it’s going to be great. I anticipate there’s going to be some protesters. It is what it is. It’s the nature of the beast. I think the overview of all of it, I think it’s going to be great.”
She looked back at the local support that existed for Trump: “We did a lot of stuff to get him elected here and it looks like it worked out, especially in our area. For how long, this was a blue (Democratic) county and it completely turned red (Republican). That really says something.”
Neither Ibrahim nor Slick has previously attended a presidential inauguration.
Slick, a licensed funeral director and volunteer firefighter who lives in Adams Township, is “excited to see history,” he said.
“I think it’s something that everybody should see at least once in their lifetime if they can,” Slick said. “I’m lucky that I’m on the winning side of it, and I’m excited to be there.”
Slick said Trump will be president “at some very crucial points in time in this term. He’s getting a second shot at doing what he said.”
“I can’t wait until the 20th,” Ibrahim said. “Even more so than the 20th, I can’t wait until the 21st when he’s actually in and things are getting done.”