The inauguration of Donald Trump this Monday January 20 was a source of powerful images. But one of the most surprising is undoubtedly that of a senator who came in a very casual outfit…
This Monday, January 20, 2025, a page in American political history turned with the inauguration of Donald Trump, who began his second term at the White House during a ceremony that was as triumphant as it was prestigious. The day was punctuated by a succession of powerful images, starting with the courteous welcome given by Joe Biden and his wife Jill to the new president and his First Lady, Melania Trump, at the White House.
During the inauguration itself, which had to be moved to the rotunda of the Capitol due to the freezing temperatures in Washington, we could see in the audience many tenors of American politics, but also figures of Silicon Valley. The images of the Clinton, Bush and even Barack Obama couples and the foreign guests will be remembered. Like those which showed the line-up of tech bosses who came to pledge allegiance to America’s new boss, Elon Musk (X, Tesla, SpaceX), Mark Zukerberg (Meta), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Sundar Pichai (Google) , but also Tim Cook (Apple)…
But the very solemn event was also marked by the most unusual images. For example, one of the guests present sat in the front row in an outfit that was surprising to say the least: gray shorts, black hoodie and sneakers, contrasting with the suits and suits of the other guests. A clothing choice that was all the more surprising given that it was almost -10°C outside.
The image, which also showed an elected official, Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania John Fetterman, will have surprised many observers on this side of the Atlantic. However, insiders of American political news will not be so surprised. Since the start of his career in the 2000s, the senator has regularly gone against the traditional codes of politics and has fully embraced his striking outfits, including during formal occasions such as the presidential inauguration.
In addition to the small provocation in the midst of Trumpist triumph, many see it as the trademark of an atypical elected official, former mayor of a small industrial town in Pennsylvania, who cultivates an image of proximity to the working classes and has become a “character “an integral part of politics in the United States. On May 13, 2022, John Fetterman suffered a stroke, months before his election as senator. In February 2023, we learned that he had also voluntarily entered the hospital for depression, publicly lifting a taboo on mental health in a position of high responsibility.
By daring to wear shorts in the middle of winter during Trump’s inauguration, Fetterman once again made an impression. It remains to be seen whether these stunts will be a help or a handicap when it comes to Democrats working in a very hostile Republican administration in the coming months.