Conflicted US capital prepares to host Trump’s inauguration
Washington — Rob Cortis calls it the "Trump Unity Bridge" — a bulky, metal 14m structure welded to two wheels and bedecked with red, white and blue signs echoing President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign themes. Cortis has towed it more than 32,000km across the country. But as he arrived in Washington on the eve of Trump’s inauguration on Friday as America’s 45th president, he struggled to navigate the city’s crowded potholed streets. "I’ve been on dirt roads that are smoother," said Cortis, who lives in Michigan. Things are no smoother for Washington — a city with a history of welcoming its White House occupants — following one of the most polarising elections in modern US politics. Nowhere in the country did the Republican Trump get less support, winning just 4% of the vote in the District of Columbia in the November 8 election. One man wearing Trump’s signature red "Make America Great Again" hat just smiled, took a picture and moved on. Then a middle-aged woman, also in Trump gear,...
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