Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Supporters of Donald Trump at the inaugural parade in Washington.
WASHINGTON - John Fiore booked a last-minute flight at three-times the standard rate so he could see Donald Trump, the first president he voted for who actually won the election since Ronald Reagan, sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday.
Fiore, a Boston native, summed up his feelings about the now-present Trump presidency following his inaugural address in two words: "I'm psyched."
Although the number of revelers on-hand for Trump's inaugural festivities was dwarfed by the past two ceremonies, in addition to the well-promoted Women's March on Saturday, supporters who made the trek to see Trump sworn into office were impressed with his performance, and stoked to see what comes next.
Trump's roughly 16-minute, populist "America First" address, which was dubbed by some in the commentariat as "radical," was deemed "fantastic" by central Virginia Trump supporter Dovonna Bevington, who made the short trek to the nation's capital.
Tracy Dean, who was alongside Bevington, said the address was "spot on" and "really showed his professionalism and how he's going to lead our country."
The pair of women who backed the real estate magnate said they're excited for him to put "our country back to work" and get "our foundation back," Bevington told Business Insider.
And, pointing to the protests occurring elsewhere in Washington as the inaugural ceremonies were ongoing, some of which had turned violent, Dean said she was looking forward to Trump "stopping all this nonsense violence going on up the street here for no other reason than that they lost."
"That's the only reason," she said.
Bevington, who conceded that a personal disliking of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton played a significant role in her warming up to Trump, said she was a fan of "his love of America," and added that Trump "picked a d--- good vice president" in Mike Pence.
Dean agreed, saying she was looking forward to seeing how the country would be with Trump's "love for its country and its people."
"The Americans," she said.
The selling point for her on Trump was that "straight up he's a real person."
"Of course, he's a billionaire," she said. We know that. But he hasn't lived serving this country his whole life having to mind his p's and q's everywhere he went. And, he related to us."
For Fiore, who said he worked decades back as an independent journalist on Capitol Hill for a brief time, he's most looking forward to the relaxed regulations and lower taxes Trump has promised.
"And I'd like to see the way the military is going to take it to the terrorists rather than wait for something to happen and then hunt them down," he said. "And I think that that is going to be a refreshing change for the people. I actually think a lot of the people protesting him are going to benefit more than me from Donald Trump."
Allan Smith/Business Insider
John Fiore.
Fiore called himself a "big believer in getting stuff done," and was sold on Trump as a doer years back when he read "Art of the Deal."
An ex-girlfriend as well as a college roommate of Fiore's tried to hold a "Trump intervention" with him last year prior to to the inauguration, he said.
"We want to talk you out of voting for Trump," Fiore recalled them telling him. "By the end of the conversation, I almost had them voting for Trump. We had a good philosophical conversation. I wasn't into the 'lock her up' stuff. I said, 'Look, Donald Trump is someone who is going to get things done.'"
Namely, working across the aisle with Democrats is what Fiore wants to see happen in that regard.
And, he was sympathetic to those protesting Trump across town.
"Back in the day, I mean, I'm from Boston, I just thought Donald Trump was a loud-mouthed New Yorker," he said. "And it wasn't until after I finished his book that I started to like him. I never watched 'The Apprentice,'" he said, later adding, "I can understand [people protesting Trump.] Back in the old days, he rubbed me the wrong way because he's Donald Trump. He's a New Yorker. But I actually think he's going to do well."