Brenneman Attends Inauguration

Carson Brenneman, Classical School of Wichita, 2022, had the opportunity to attend the 2025 Presidential Inauguration and has shared a reflection of the experience below.

”Recently, I had the privilege of visiting Washington, D.C., for the inauguration. A couple of friends and I made the long trek, driving from Stillwater, Oklahoma, to the capital to view this historic event. When we were in Tennessee, the news broke that, like in 1985, the ceremony would be moved inside due to extreme cold. We still decided to press on, and I’m glad we did, even if only to see friends I had made as an intern last summer. 

The ceremony, pageantry, and celebration of our American institution of constitutional republicanism was a sight to behold. I had already seen the magnificent National Cathedral, the towering Washington Monument, and all the other beautiful sights of the capital before, but the inauguration was truly different. It was a kind of culmination of all the sorts of little things I’ve done politically, from youth activism to door-knocking to interning for Senator Moran here in Wichita and on the hill. While those things are essential, this ceremony is far more significant and offers a visual of what it means to live in a free country. The inauguration is our faint echo of the British monarchy’s coronation, except instead of exalting a man to supreme authority, it reasserts the integrity of our republic and the nation’s unity, ultimately appealing to God for help and guidance. 

As a young person interested in politics, it was a wonderful opportunity to witness history through a screen in the Capital One arena. May God bless our country and guide our leaders in paths of righteousness.”