Local pastor, son share unforgettable experience at Trump's inauguration

A local pastor had the opportunity of a lifetime Monday, Jan. 20: He and his son attended President Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C.

Timothy Lee, pastor of Apostolic Promise Church in Cape Girardeau, and his son, Montgomery Lee, braved the bitter cold early Monday morning while standing in line outside the Capital One Arena waiting to be let in.

“We got out in line at like 5 a.m., and there were thousands and thousands of people behind us,” Timothy Lee said. “... There had to be 10,000-plus already (in line) when we got there. I think our GPS put us a half-mile away from the door.”

The 2024 election marked the first time 20-year-old Montgomery Lee was able to vote for president, which prompted him and his father to attend the inauguration. The pair got to experience the city together after arriving Saturday, Jan. 18, making stops at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Capitol and White House on Sunday, Jan. 19.

After waking up in the hotel early Monday morning, the Lees faced some minor issues when their transportation arrived late. Everything worked out, though, as they made it in enough time to get inside the building.

“We were, like, ‘We’re going to strangle you if we don’t get in,’” Timothy Lee joked.

After waiting several hours upon entering, Timothy Lee said the arena was buzzing when the festivities began.

“By the time (Trump) got there, the place was electric,” Timothy Lee said.

When Trump entered the arena, he walked down through the crowd to take the stage. Timothy Lee said it seemed like the president was “one of the people”.

“People in the stadium, he just shook their hands,” Timothy Lee said. “It’s, like, he walked right down from where they were selling hot dogs and it was, like, he was one of the people. It was just like, ‘I can’t believe the guy’s doing that.’”

Elon Musk also was a “hit” with the crowd, according to Timothy Lee, who said “people went nuts” when he arrived.

“He’s a little bit awkward, the way he is,” Timothy Lee said. “He’s kind of, like, a geeky guy, but he was so excited, doing his salutes and stuff. The place went nuts.”

Timothy Lee was particularly impressed by the security detail posted around the arena and throughout the National Mall.

“It was super safe everywhere you went,” he said. “What really stood out was, typically, they’re real stoic or whatever when they look at you, but all the police officers were smiling and almost very hospitable.”

The pastor said he hopes to see life improve under Trump’s administration.

“I hope that normal, hard-working people aren’t paying as much for normal stuff like gas and food. The normal, hard-working people that are raising kids,” Timothy Lee said. “(I also hope) taxes are less, making it easier for families.”