The 2017 inauguration of Donald Trump was far from a peaceful transfer of power. Will history repeat itself in 2025? The left in America is fond of casting themselves as the standard-bearers for democracy and conservators of “the peaceful transfer of power,” particularly following the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021. As the nation approaches the second inauguration of President Donald Trump, it’s worth remembering the political violence that transpired on January 20, 2017. It’s a sobering reminder that the left doesn’t always practice what they preach. The bedlam began in the day’s early hours. Coordinated attacks by aggressive activist organizations such as ANTIFA and the ANSWER Coalition organized under the umbrella group DisruptJ20 took place in multiple parts of the city. Black Lives Matter supporters chained themselves to entry points at the Inauguration. Raging demonstrators burned MAGA hats in the street, vandalized cars, and set garbage bins ablaze. Limousine driver Luis Villarroel sustained lacerations after escaping the mob that set his car on fire. Shocking footage shows swarming protesters smashing the windows of a Starbucks and Bank of America in downtown D.C. Six police officers were injured during vicious clashes with demonstrators, and over 200 people were arrested in what was one of the most violent inaugurations in modern American history. Transgressions weren’t limited to property damage and spanned several days: protesters hurled bricks and rocks at law enforcement officers tasked with maintaining order. At the Women’s March in the nation’s capital the day after the 2017 inauguration, pop star Madonna infamously declared before the assembled crowd that she had “thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House.” For some, Inauguration Day interference didn’t go far enough. In lamenting “what might have been,” an anonymous observer remarked that “a concerted effort could have been made to break through the checkpoints and storm the inauguration en masse. It is possible that in the afternoon, the bloc [ANTIFA] could have led thousands of folks out into D.C. and paralyzed the city (and still smashed shit).” As the 2025 presidential inauguration approaches, vigilance for violence should be observed. The left’s muted pushback following the 2024 election should assuage some, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if similar chaos much like 2017 unfolds. The People’s Forum — a coalition representing groups known for engaging in violent disruption at Trump’s last inauguration — has planned a “national day of action” on January 20 titled “We Fight Back.” [Photo credit: Trump Inauguration Washington DC, CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0, via Flickr (cropped)]
