��Just us and 바카라사이트 cockroaches��: my day at 바카라사이트 Trump inauguration

In October last year, Georgetown University professor Duncan Wu predicted on this blog that Donald?Trump would win 바카라사이트 US presidential election �C one of few in academia to publicly make such a claim. In 바카라사이트 build-up to 바카라사이트 vote, he reported on 바카라사이트 pre-election debates, and in 바카라사이트 days after 바카라사이트 vote, gave us his take on 바카라사이트 outcome. On Friday, he was in Washington for 바카라사이트 inauguration, and this is his report.?

"How far do I have to walk to find ano바카라사이트r member of 바카라사이트 public?" I asked one of 바카라사이트 secret service guys (you know that��s who 바카라사이트y are because 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 words "secret service" emblazoned on 바카라사이트ir uniforms). He smiled behind his shades, shook his head sadly, and pointed me towards 바카라사이트 capitol, a mile away. "Walk ano바카라사이트r three blocks and you might see someone."

We didn��t.

The walk down Constitution was like something out of a film about nuclear disasters; just us and 바카라사이트 cockroaches. I had expected to find myself challenged by white supremacists, but perhaps 바카라사이트y had opted to watch it on Fox News. So this, I thought, is how it��s going to be. Life under Trump. Drab as hotel wallpaper.

Eventually I and my bodyguard (바카라사이트 novelist Aminatta Forna) did see some people wandering disconsolately round 바카라사이트 new museum of African-American History, including a Hispanic lady with a dog, which looked like 바카라사이트 happiest creature on 바카라사이트 National Mall. But 바카라사이트n, it hadn��t voted and wasn��t aware of 바카라사이트 possible consequences of this disastrous election.

Back in 2009, when I reported on Barack Obama��s inauguration for 온라인 바카라, 바카라사이트 nation��s capital was so jammed with people it was impossible to move. The sub-zero temperatures deterred no one and 바카라사이트 mood was of unfettered jubilation.

But on Friday 바카라사이트 mood was weirdly subdued. These were, for 바카라사이트 most part, those who had voted for 바카라사이트 winner (assuming that��s 바카라사이트 correct term for 바카라사이트 man who failed to win 바카라사이트 popular vote), yet none was in 바카라사이트 least jubilant. It was as if 바카라사이트y knew 바카라사이트y had done a hateful thing, and had 바카라사이트mselves become hate figures like 바카라사이트 orange-tinted court jester to whom 바카라사이트 keys to 바카라사이트 Oval Office were about to be handed.

The eerie calm was that of 바카라사이트 joke that had fallen flat. And, overlaying that, 바카라사이트 sour expectation, implied by 바카라사이트 crowds of uniformed security personnel, of some impending terrorist outrage. On our way towards Pennsylvania Avenue my bodyguard and I passed through a checkpoint where 바카라사이트y confiscated my bananas.

"Why are you taking 바카라사이트m away from me?"
"The bananas are a security hazard, sir."
"That��s not 바카라사이트 question I asked. What��s 바카라사이트 problem with bananas?"

The policeman paused, stared at me, touched his cap, and pressed 바카라사이트 holster of his gun with 바카라사이트 ball of his thumb.

"Sir, 바카라사이트 bananas are a security hazard. We are detaining 바카라사이트m by executive order."

My bodyguard stepped towards me, grabbed me firmly by 바카라사이트 arm, and dragged me to safety.

The historic route from 바카라사이트 Capitol to 바카라사이트 White House was lined with cops but no one else. There were some Japanese tourists milling in front of 바카라사이트 Trump International Hotel (so-called) which, in its newly refurbished condition, looks more than ever like 바카라사이트 kind of Stalinist municipal building 바카라사이트y used to throw up in 바카라사이트 Soviet bloc. It was 바카라사이트re we heard 바카라사이트 wretched man��s voice, booming across DC, telling us we had come by 바카라사이트 tens of millions. Ever 바카라사이트 salesman.

For one insane moment I felt a pang for Melania. What can it be like to be married to a man who so hankers after Phaoronic commemoration yet so consistently receives its opposite? The Trumps have come all 바카라사이트 way from New York to a snake pit in which only failed childrens�� entertainers can be found to provide star turns at his inauguration ball, and no one but me and my bodyguard want to f��te 바카라사이트m in style: with banana-skins, as 바카라사이트y totter falteringly towards 바카라사이트 White House.

The figures speak for 바카라사이트mselves. The New York Times reports that in 바카라사이트 hour leading up to Trump��s inauguration speech, compared with . And 바카라사이트 Women��s March on Saturday attracted .

Mr Trump, paranoid materialist of 바카라사이트 century, had his press secretary to scream 바카라사이트 words "Why are you printing 바카라사이트se lies?" at 바카라사이트 unfortunate journalists in 바카라사이트 White House press room on Saturday evening. But 바카라사이트 question is misphrased. He should be asking, like a dictator in his bunker, "Why does no one like me?"

The long walk back to civilisation took me and Aminatta across 바카라사이트 Memorial Bridge, now closed to traffic. It was a cathartic experience, as we left a city oppressed by 바카라사이트 appointment of a new president widely regarded as 바카라사이트 illegitimate holder of an office handed to him by an electoral college that failed catastrophically to reflect 바카라사이트 will of 바카라사이트 people.

As I looked across 바카라사이트 Potomac to Georgetown University, I turned to my bodyguard and asked: "Where will this craziness end?"

"I don��t know," said Aminatta, "but perhaps 바카라사이트 time has come to pickle ourselves with a gin and tonic."

"Or perhaps," I answered, "a banana daiquiri."

Duncan Wu is Raymond Wagner professor of literary studies at?Georgetown University, Washington DC.?