With hopes and fears, a divided America watches inauguration

(AP) — In living rooms, cafes and offices, people across America watched Donald Trump become the nation's 45th president.

Retiree J.P. Marzullo celebrated the inauguration by buying a cigar in Hooksett, New Hampshire, where he watched the ceremony.

"The thing I drew most from this was that he talked about us, the people," said Marzullo, a former vice chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party who had a marketing and sales career in health care.

In an Oakland, California, living room, 42-year-old Melissa Crisp-Cooper watched Trump speak about bringing power back to the people and assuring them they will never be ignored again.

Watching Trump's speech from his home in the Des Moines, Iowa, suburb of Waukee, the 34-year-old loan officer said he enjoyed the remarks because they echoed Trump's campaign messages.

"At the end of the day, the message that people were receiving was the system is broken, our politicians aren't doing their job and that we need to take things back and have the people make more decisions and have more power," Nong said.

Watching at the group's office in a Phoenix church, she teared up as she spoke about her concerns about Trump's immigration positions, including a promise to dismantle the Obama administration program that provides protection to young people who lack legal status.

Fernando Peguero, a semi-retired businessman and lifelong Republican, left the Dominican Republic for the United States at age 20 to flee the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo.

Padilla, a 50-year-old school counselor in Broadway, Virginia, said he respects Trump's business background and likes his promise to bring jobs.

On Friday, he roamed the National Mall with a broad smile on his face, wearing a red Trump hat and a leather jacket with American-flag sleeves.

Padilla said he also expects Trump to push for immigration reform that benefits hard-working, law-abiding people.

For now, she's pinning her hopes on state politics, where she wants Democrats to retake the state Senate.

[...] during Trump's inauguration, the 57-year-old GOP activist chanted "We will make America great again!" She was surrounded by about 100 other Trump supporters at Pete's Greek Town Cafe in Denver.

For Moore, a residential landlord, Trump's presidency marks a collective coming-out party of sorts: "We are not ashamed for being exceptional anymore," she said.

Associated Press journalists Jim Anderson in Denver; Janie Har in Oakland, California; Manuel Valdes in Seattle; Astrid Galvan in Phoenix; Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami; Barbara Rodriguez in Des Moines, Iowa; Alex Sanz in Johns Creek, Georgia; Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City; Jonthan Drew in Garner, North Carolina; Ivan Moreno in Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Alanna Durkin Richer, Ben Nuckols, Brian Witte and Alan Suderman in Washington, D.C.; contributed to this report.