President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday that his inauguration ceremony will be moved indoors due to dangerously low temperatures expected in Washington, D.C., on Monday, January 20th. The ceremony, originally planned for the West Front of the Capitol, will now take place inside the Capitol Rotunda, significantly limiting in-person attendance.
“There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.… Therefore, 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.”
Temperatures on Inauguration Day are forecast to be between 18 and 19 degrees Fahrenheit, with wind chills as low as 5 to 10 degrees. A quick-moving storm is also expected to bring snow to the region on Sunday.
The change means that the “vast majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person,” according to a statement from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Only those with tickets for the Presidential Platform and members of Congress will be permitted inside the Rotunda. For others, the tickets will now serve as commemorative items.
The U.S. Capitol Police confirmed that all outdoor ticketed areas on the West Front will be closed Monday. Security plans, which include increased law enforcement presence and physical barriers, remain in place. The Secret Service has also adjusted protocols to accommodate the indoor ceremony.
In response to the limited capacity, Trump announced that the Capital One Arena in downtown D.C. will host a live viewing of the ceremony and the presidential parade. The arena, which can accommodate approximately 20,000 people, is far smaller than the expected crowd of visitors to Washington for the event. Trump stated he would join the audience there after his swearing-in.
Historical comparisons have been drawn to President Ronald Reagan’s 1985 inauguration, which was similarly moved to the Capitol Rotunda due to extreme cold. On that occasion, temperatures reached 7 degrees, with wind chills below zero, forcing organizers to cancel the parade.
Trump’s swearing-in will mark the second time in modern history that an inauguration has been relocated indoors due to weather, highlighting the challenges posed by the Arctic conditions expected to grip the nation’s capital.
