Trump's inauguration needs to be moved indoors because of excessive chilly

The US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, on Monday, January 6, 2025.

Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trump said his inauguration ceremony on Monday will be moved indoors due to the extreme cold experienced in Washington, DC

“An arctic explosion is sweeping across the land. I don’t want to see people hurt or harmed in any way,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Friday.

“Therefore, I have directed that the inaugural address be delivered in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol in addition to prayers and other speeches,” he wrote.

Trump's post included screenshots of the National Weather Service predicting “dangerously cold wind chills” between 6 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit for midday Monday.

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The last inauguration to be held indoors was in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan was sworn in for a second term due to the bitterly cold temperatures in the Rotunda.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which oversees inaugural events at the Capitol complex, said it would honor Trump's request to move the ceremonies indoors.

A view of the Rotunda of the US Capitol on January 17, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images

Trump said in the Truth Social post that Capital One Arena in D.C. will be open for a live broadcast of his inauguration and that a planned presidential parade will also be held there.

“I will join the crowd at Capital One after I am sworn in,” Trump wrote.

He added that the rest of his inaugural ceremonies, including a MAGA rally at Capital One Arena on Sunday afternoon, “will remain the same.”

“Everyone will be safe, everyone will be happy and together we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he wrote.

Some Trump supporters who traveled to Washington for his swearing in for a second consecutive term were upset by the announcement.

“We might as well stay home and watch it on TV. To be honest, I'm kind of disappointed,” Ken Robinson, who traveled from Oklahoma with his family, told NBC News.

“We came here to see it in person. We don’t really care if we watch it on a Jumbotron,” Robinson said.