Due to the forecasted frigid weather in Washington, D.C., President-elect Donald Trump announced that his inauguration will be held indoors on Monday.
According to Trump, the Capitol Rotunda will serve as the site of both his inauguration and the taking of the oath of office.
Guests and dignitaries would be welcomed inside the Capitol, Trump said on Truth Social. “This will be a very beautiful experience for all, and especially for the large TV audience!”
“We will open Capital One Arena on Monday for LIVE viewing of this Historic event, and to host the Presidential Parade,” he said. “I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing In.”
“The vast majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person,” the Joint Inaugural Committee said in respect to this alteration. “Those with tickets for the Presidential Platform and members of Congress will be able to attend in person.”
“We strongly suggest people who are in Washington for the event attend other indoor events at indoor venues of their choice to watch the inauguration,” according to the group.
Monday, the ticketed outdoor areas on the West Front of the Capitol will be closed, according to a statement from the U.S. Capitol Police. The inauguration “will still have a heightened security posture with an increased law enforcement presence and layers of physical security,” according to the Capitol Police, who are leading the effort to ensure the safety of the event.
According to the D.C. Joint Information Center for National Special Security Events, the Secret Service is coordinating with other agencies “to adapt our security plans as needed.”
The new inauguration stage was being constructed in the Capitol Rotunda by crews on Friday afternoon.
The House Sergeant at Arms sent an email to all House offices, asking them to inform constituents who were given tickets that they are now “commemorative” as most of the people who received them will not be able to attend the proceedings in person.
Predictions indicate that this inaugural will be the chilliest in forty years.
Snow may fall on Sunday afternoon in the nation’s capital as a result of a fast-moving storm.
Monday at noon will see a temperature of around 18 or 19 degrees, when Trump takes the oath of office. The wind will cause a temperature difference of 5 to 10 degrees, which is known as the wind chill.
“I abhor seeing harm done to anybody,” Trump stated on Truth Social.
As a result of inclement weather, the 1985 second inauguration of President Ronald Reagan was also held indoors.
Four degrees below zero was the lowest temperature recorded that morning. Midday temperatures of 7 degrees Celsius made January Inauguration Day the lowest ever recorded. The Reagan float was also scrapped.