As sub-freezing temperatures hit Washington, where will Trump be sworn in?
Sub-freezing temperatures forecast for Monday in Washington are prompting President-elect Donald Trump to take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda. Almost everyone visiting Washington won't be able to see it in person
Washington: Sub-freezing temperatures forecast for Monday in Washington are prompting President-elect Donald Trump to take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda. Almost everyone visiting Washington won’t be able to see it in person.
The decision to move Monday’s event indoors marks the first time in 40 years that a president will not be sworn in on the Capitol steps. Plans are underway to accommodate some attendees at the city’s pro basketball and hockey arena.
Here’s what we know about the arrangements so far, with updates to come as organisers scramble to change plans: Where will Trump now be sworn in?
The Rotunda is prepared as an alternative for each inauguration in the event of inclement weather. The swearing-in was last moved indoors in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan began his second term. Monday’s forecast calls for the lowest Inauguration Day temperatures since that day.
President Joe Biden, members of Congress and other dignitaries and notable guests will be able to view the ceremony from inside the Capitol. Workers were installing a small platform in the Rotunda on Friday.
The US Capitol Police said Friday that outside ticketed areas at the Capitol would be closed “due to the extremely cold weather,” so even if people wanted to gather there as Trump takes the oath inside, they won’t be allowed to do so.
How cold is it going to get on Monday?
The National Weather Service is predicting that the temperature will be around 22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-6 Celsius) at noon Eastern time, when Trump becomes president. That would be the coldest since Reagan’s second inauguration saw temperatures plunge to 7 degrees (minus-14 Celsius).
“The weather forecast for Washington, DC, with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.” In 2009, it was 28 degrees (minus-2 Celsius) for President Barack Obama’s swearing-in. Biden was sworn in four years ago in a relatively balmy 42 degrees (5.5 Celsius).
What about the parade — is it still happening?
Trump also said that Capital One Arena would “host the Presidential Parade,” another tweak from tradition. Trump also said that he would “join the crowd” at Capital One after he takes the oath.
The parade is managed by the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, and they are hurriedly working to figure out what changes need to be made and how the parade will go on, a task force official said. The official asked not to be named to provide details ahead of an announcement on how the parade will continue.
Normally, thousands of people line the route from the US Capitol to the White House, which the president typically traverses following the swearing-in ceremony. Marching bands and other participants from around the country come to Washington to participate, so presumably they will also be part of the newly arranged indoor festivities.
