Trump Inauguration: Fake Donald, Melania, And Barron Work Out Kinks At Rehearsal


One lucky 12-year-old boy got to play Barron Trump at the inauguration rehearsal for the soon-to-be President Trump. What criteria did these people need to fit to play the Trump family members? They were all the right height, so they were recruited to stand in for Donald, Melania, and Barron Trump during the inauguration dress rehearsal.

The rehearsal didn’t just have fake Trump family members; people were also recruited to play a number of notable names expected at the inauguration. This included people standing in for Mike Pence and his wife and children as well. This rehearsal covered everything just as it will unfold on Friday when Donald Trump steps up to the podium, puts his hand on the bible, and swears to honor his role of the 45th President of the United States.

Sgt. Major Greg Lowery, 53, got to feel what it would be like to walk in Donald Trump’s shoes for a brief time while playing the future president at the rehearsal. The woman’s name wasn’t Melania Trump, but when “Melania” was directed to move to the right or left, a volunteer who was the same height as the future first lady followed those leads. When the volunteer was just in the right spot, the tape was put down so the real Melania Trump would know just where to stand.

The youngest of all the volunteers standing in for the famous politicians and their families was 12-year-old Charlie Blunt, who is the son of Senator Roy Blunt. This is the young man who played the role of Barron Trump for the purpose of the rehearsal. The inauguration rehearsal is important for many different reasons, one being the timing. Getting the timing right is just as important as getting everyone situated just right for the swearing in of the president.

According to AL News, it took a little more than an hour for all the people to file in. This was with all the stops and starts factored in. According to what the dress rehearsal revealed, this is how long it will take on Friday just to get everyone in place. This rehearsal left no stone unturned, as there was even a fill-in for the Washington National Cathedral’s choir. Instead of live people singing, a recording was played of the song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.”

There’s no masking the fact that this will be a long drawn-out affair. It is going to take some time with a name called every few minutes of a different dignitary as they appear. Lowery, who played Trump for this event, was the last to come out. When he did, he seemed to get into character for his part. He gave a rather dignified wave to the crowd (that wasn’t there) as he made his way into the nonexistent festivities.

Sgt. Neil Ewachiw, 47, took on the role of Mike Pence for the sake of the rehearsal. Both he and Lowery are vocalists in the U.S. Army Chorus and Band. Besides both being the correct height as their counterparts, neither one of them suffer from stage fright as they sing in front of audiences in the chorus. This made these two men naturals for the part of the future president and vice president of the nation.

Ewachiw was so thrilled to play the part of Mike Pence that he described this as a “career highlight.”

He talked about what the inauguration meant to him, saying, “It’s really about the peaceful transfer of power. That’s what we’re celebrating. We put it out there for the whole world to see.”

While this was only role playing for the people playing Donald, Melania, and Barron Trump, along with the folks standing in for Mike Pence and his family, they got a feel of fame for a short time. They all got to walk in the shoes of the famous people they were playing on Sunday afternoon.

Come Friday, the real Trump and Pence family members will be standing just where the tape indicates they should stand. As for the volunteers, they all have one heck of a story to tell their grandkids, especially Lowery, who can actually say he was president in Washington for a few hours one day.

[Featured Image by Evan Vucci/AP Images]

Share this article: Trump Inauguration: Fake Donald, Melania, And Barron Work Out Kinks At Rehearsal
More from Inquisitr