Wisconsin’s congressional delegation reacts to Trump inauguration
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Members of Wisconsin's congressional delegation reflected on President Donald Trump's inauguration and the administration's sweeping executive orders issued on day one.
Most of Wisconsin's delegation attended President Trump's inauguration ceremony, while two Democrats- Reps. Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan- did not.
Trump returned to the White House Monday using one of his most powerful tools, executive orders.
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI 6th District) praised executive actions targeting immigration, including declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and Trump's promise to end birthright citizenship.
"I hope he follows through on his promises to remove people who are here illegally," Grothman said. "Overall, I thought it was a very good speech."
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the only Democrat from Wisconsin to attend the ceremony, posted on "X" criticizing the billionaires in attendance, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who spent over a quarter-billion dollars to help Trump win in November.
"Somehow, billionaires getting front row seats at Trump’s inauguration doesn’t give me confidence that working families are the priority," Baldwin said.
Others, including Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI 1st District) and Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI 7th District), were optimistic about the incoming administration.
“Our country is ready for change,” said Steil. “I look forward to working with President Trump to secure our border, lower costs for Wisconsin families, and unleash American energy.”
Tiffany posted on "X," "TODAY marks the beginning of America's great comeback."
Last week, Rep. Moore announced she would not be attending Trump’s inauguration to instead celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Milwaukee.
“I normally attend ceremonies like inaugurations and State of the Union speeches, however, through his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, President-elect Trump has shown no respect for our democracy or the rule of law, so I do not feel compelled to attend the inauguration,” Moore said in a statement.
Rep. Pocan also previously said he would not attend and held a "day of service" in Wisconsin.
In Madison, Pocan joined LGBTQ groups and immigration advocates to protest Trump's campaign promises. They criticized new executive actions to abolish diversity, equity and inclusion programs (DEI) and directing the federal government to only recognize two sexes: male and female.
"So much of what [Republicans] are doing around gender is ridiculous," Pocan said. "We need to respect everyone, and you can do that without having to make the base happy."
Legal experts predict some of Trump's executive actions could face lawsuits, but right now it's unclear whether they'll have an immediate impact.