Michelle Mattus is a Ridley Park Republican who dabbled in politics after running an unsuccessful campaign for the Pennsylvania State House in 2023.
She had tickets to the Capitol for the Jan. 20 presidential swearing-in ceremony of Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., but with the change in venue, she ended watching it outside on a screen instead , along with tens of thousands of supporters.
Mattus is a friend of Philadelphia Magazine writer Victor Fiorillo, who relayed her experiences in a Jan. 21 article.
Good fortune turned her way when she was invited to the Liberty Ball by Trump’s Pennsylvania campaign staff. It was one of three inaugural balls that night.
Luckily, she had come prepared with an extra evening gown.
“It felt a lot like Philadelphia in the weeks after the Eagles won the Super Bowl,” she said, with the crowd broadly focused on hope.
She described a “fun party atmosphere, definitely not elitist.”
The Ball had a DJ, a performance by rapper Nelly, and several photo-op backdrop opportunities.
“I tend to be more reserved, and the tone was irreverent — in a good way. At the end of the ball, Trump and Melania came out and danced.”
Read more of Michelle Mattus’ inaugural experiences in Philadelphia Magazine.
