President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed that his inaugural address on January 20 will be held indoors owing to the dangerously cold weather anticipated for Washington next week.
The address and other speeches will henceforth take place inside the rotunda of the United States Capitol, rather than outside.
The inaugural parade, as well as all three inaugural balls, will take place indoors at Washington’s Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, which is about a mile (1.6 kilometres) away.
Ronald Reagan was the last president to be sworn in indoors, in 1985, when chilly weather also affected the US Capitol.
In a statement released on his Truth Social social media platform, Trump stated that he does “want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way” amid the freezing temperatures.
“It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of law enforcement, first responders, police K9s, and even horses,” as well as “hundreds of thousands” of supporters.
“In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly,” he added.
The Capital One Arena will also be open for a live broadcast of the inauguration address.
On inauguration day, temperatures in Washington, are projected to range from -11C (12F) to -5C (23F).
“Everyone will be safe, everyone will be happy, and we will, together, make America great again,” Trump wrote.
Organisers had planned to distribute approximately 220,000 tickets to watch the inauguration on the grounds of the US Capitol.
Those without tickets could also view the ceremonies on the National Mall.
However, the move indoors means a much smaller capacity for Monday’s swearing-in for Trump, who is known to closely track attendance figures at his public events.
