Senator Chuck Grassley.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he will be seated about 50 feet from where Donald Trump will be sworn in as our country’s 45th president during Friday’s inaugural ceremony.

Some 800,000 people are expected to pack into the nation’s capital for the event. Grassley calls the inauguration of a new leader a “hallmark of American democracy” and he remains hopeful about what will be said.

Grassley says, “I hope to hear a message from President Trump that reassures the American people, especially those who have felt forgotten by Washington and the power structure here in this town.” During his first address as commander-in-chief, Grassley says Trump will be laying out his vision for America and for the next four years.

“I would like to hear him build on his message of improving chances of economic prosperity for all Americans,” Grassley says, “and I expect that he will focus on putting America first, because he’s said so so many times.” Grassley is 83 years old and says he’s attended every inaugural since he was first sent to Washington in 1975 except for one. In 1996, he chose to do charity work instead, delivering meals in northern Virginia for Meals on Wheels.

“Each presidential inauguration is a part of our country’s history,” Grassley says. “It’s a reminder of the strength of our democracy and, of course, a peaceful transition of power by evolution instead of revolution.”

Grassley says his office got around 1,500 requests from Iowans for tickets to the inaugural, but he only has about 400 tickets which he plans to distribute on a lottery basis. Iowa’s congressional delegation plans to hold an inaugural reception for all Iowans who are in D.C. on Thursday from 2 to 4 P.M. in the Russell Office Building at the capitol.