Inauguration 2017: ‘Quite a few today from Dayton,’ southwest Ohio

News Center 7 reporters Jim Otte and Lauren Clark contributed reporting.

Plenty of Ohio Buckeyes packed into Washington, D.C. for President Donald Trump’s inauguration Friday, and more are expected for a protest tomorrow.

“I saw quite a few today from Dayton,” said Mike Healy, a Chesapeake, Va. resident originally from Centerville. “It was great to see people from Dayton and say, ‘Ohioans! Ohio Buckeyes!’”

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Kevin Burch, owner of the Dayton-based Jet Express trucking company, indicated the new administration will benefit his business.

“For us small- and medium-size business owners, we look at this as a new opportunity moving forward as he (Trump) said,” Burch said.

Among the other southwest Ohio residents there were Dawn and Barry Rothchild, of Cincinnati, who said they traveled to Dayton to watch one of Trump’s campaign speeches.

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“We have supported Donald Trump for the last 18 months, including the one in Dayton,” said Barry Rothchild. “We’ve said for months, if he wins the presidency we are coming to the inauguration.”

Still, Rothchild said Trump’s inaugural address “did not have the feel of a Trump rally.”

“It was much more presidential and much more what the country wanted to hear,” he said, as Dawn Rothchild added, “He’s for the people, and that’s the most important thing.”

Ann Staugler, of Fort Recovery in Mercer County, said she believes Trump “knows what we need,” and think’s he’ll “get it done.”

“He’s done it with his businesses, so I hope, I pray,” she said.

Residents from southwest Ohio are also expected at Saturday’s march to protest the new administration.

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