In a stunning break from tradition, President-elect Donald Trump has announced that his second inauguration ceremony will be moved indoors at the US Capitol due to severely cold temperatures forecast to hit Washington DC on Monday. The last-minute change marks the first time a president has been sworn in inside since Ronald Reagan in 1985, when the wind chill made it feel like a bone-chilling 7°F (-13°C) outside.
“The weather forecast for Washington DC, with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows. There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country,” Trump revealed in a Truth Social post. “I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.”
Inauguration Moves to Capitol Rotunda
Facing the prospect of subjecting dignitaries and spectators to potentially dangerous conditions, Trump has directed his transition team to relocate the swearing-in ceremony and inauguration speech to the United States Capitol Rotunda. The cavernous space, often used for state funerals and other special events, can accommodate roughly 100 seated guests.
“I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather.”
– President-elect Donald Trump
Parade Rerouted, Other Events Continue
With the outdoor celebrations scuttled by the frigid forecast, Trump said the inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue will be rerouted. He suggested overflow guests unable to fit in the rotunda could watch the proceedings from the nearby Capital One Arena, which is already being used for a pre-inauguration rally on Sunday night.
Despite the upheaval, Trump assured his supporters that all other inauguration-related events will proceed as planned, culminating with the “Starlight Ball” for top donors. The president-elect is still expected to sign a flurry of executive orders in the Oval Office after taking the oath.
A Rare Indoor Inauguration
Moving a presidential inauguration indoors is an exceedingly rare occurrence in American history. Prior to Reagan in 1985, the last president forced inside by the elements was William H. Taft in 1909. The National Weather Service predicts this year’s wind chill could make it feel like 8°F in the nation’s capital, with snow expected the night before.
While Trump’s second inauguration will lack the pomp and massive crowds of those held outdoors, the setting within the hallowed halls of the Capitol will provide a powerful backdrop for his return to the White House. Even as the weather outside turns frightful, all eyes will be on the 45th president as the transition of power is completed under the Capitol dome.
