The freezing chill looming over Washington on Monday foretells an indoor swearing-in for President-elect Donald Trump, veering from the usual Capitol steps ceremony. This abandons the majority of Washington visitors the chance to witness the inaugural ceremony firsthand, signifying a first in 40 years where the Capitol steps haven’t hosted the swearing-in ritual.
Preparations are being made to transition some spectators to the neighboring professional basketball and hockey arena due to the severe weather. As organizers are stuck in a mad dash to adapt, a glance into how the arrangements are panning out reveals the following: Trump’s swearing-in now occurs where?
The Rotunda, always readied as a fallback location in situations of harsh weather, is set to host the inauguration. The last time it did so was in 1985, when a cold wave forced the relocation of President Ronald Reagan’s second term swearing-in ceremony. Monday’s chilling forecast hints at the coldest Inauguration Day since Reagan’s own.
As far as Joe Biden, Congress members, and other significant personalities are concerned, they will witness the ceremony from within the confines of the Capitol. By Friday, workers were already mounting a modest platform within the Rotunda space. Interestingly, even though spectators might wish to congregate outside ticketed areas at the Capitol, the U.S. Capitol Police will not allow this, quoting the ‘extremely cold weather’ as reason.
How chilly does Monday look then? Meteorologists from The National Weather Service project the temperature sitting around a freezing 22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-6 Celsius) when Trump assumes the presidential role at noon EST. This would be record-breaking, signifying the most frigid climate since Reagan’s second inauguration hit a brisk 7 degrees (minus-14 Celsius) with Washington weather forecasts warning of an even lower temperature with the wind chill factor included.
Comparatively, Barack Obama was sworn-in at 28 degrees (minus-2 Celsius) in 2009 and Joe Biden saw a rather mild 42 degrees (5.5 Celsius) at his inauguration four years back. This Monday however, the mercury seems to be as unforgiving as it was 64 years ago par when John F. Kennedy braved the same 22-degree temperature amid 8 inches of overnight snowfall along the parade route.
A display of resilience saw Kennedy delivering his oath on the Capitol’s east steps, sans topcoat, as the iciness of his breath was visibly felt. Recalling another such incident, William Howard Taft’s inauguration in 1909 had to be moved indoors following a 10-inch snowfall. Although it’s worth noting that inaugurations were carried out on March 4 then, unlike the current date of January 20.
The opportunity for public attendance indoors? The House’s sergeant at arms announces to congressional offices that majority of the seats initially purposed for an outdoor ceremony, will now be unavailable. Only the tickets symbolizing commemorative value from sections 3 and 4 would potentially permit entrance.
With the Rotunda capacity capping at 600 according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, the aforementioned arena could indeed house 20,000 spectators. So what’s the update on the parade situation, and is it going on as planned?
Decisions lie with the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region with regards to adjustments necessary for optimizing the parade’s progress. Usually crowded by thousands of visitors, the parade takes place along the path from the Capitol to the White House post swearing-in ceremony. It’s presumed that the marching bands and other contributing teams from across the states will partake in the indoor festivities.
Despite extreme weather circumstances, Trump reassures that other inaugural ceremonies are happening as planned. The President-elect extends confirmation about attending three inaugural balls on Monday night. Therefore, even if the inauguration itself appears frosty, the evening promises some warmth.
Lastly, concerning queries about potential refunds on not attending the inauguration – since no financial transactions occur for the originally planned outdoor inauguration tickets, no refunds are warranted. Extreme weather situations may bring about unconventional ceremonies, but they can’t dampen the democratic spirit underpinning them.