'Majority of Americans view Trump's inauguration as more partisan affair'

A Gallup poll shows that 55 per cent of Americans see President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration more of a political celebration by his supporters rather than by all Americans.

This political landscape is far different from eight years ago, when more than three-quarters of Americans viewed outgoing US President Barack Obama's inauguration as one of the most historic in the nation's history and a celebration by all Americans, according to the poll.

The new Gallup survey suggested that most Americans view Trump's inauguration as a more partisan affair and Americans are split on whether protests are appropriate during the inauguration ceremony, with pro and con rates standing at 46 per cent and 51 per cent, respectively, Xinhua news agency reported.

Republicans are more likely now than they were eight, 12 or even 16 years ago to see the inauguration as a time for all to celebrate.

On the other hand, Democrats are now more likely than in 2001 or 2005 to think that it is appropriate to protest the ceremonies, due to majority of Americans' unfavourable view of Trump, the poll suggested.

Trump will be sworn in as the 45th US President on Friday.

According to the survey, with the incoming President facing major protests, a historical inauguration boycott by Democrats in the House of Representatives and a doubting public, the nation is in a far different place than eight years ago, when four in five Americans saw the nation's first black President as a uniter, and an overwhelming majority looked ahead to better times.

--IANS

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