Due to extreme cold weather, Trump's swearing-in ceremony will be relocated to the Capitol Rotunda.

President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weather.

By  NEWS BLEND 360

Updated 5:06 PM EST, January 17, 2025

WASHINGTON (NB360) — Due to forecasts of extreme cold weather, President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday, disrupting months of detailed planning for a large outdoor event with crowds extending down the National Mall.

“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could bring temperatures to severe record lows,” Trump announced on his Truth Social platform. “An Arctic blast is sweeping the country. I do not want to see anyone harmed or injured.”

The Rotunda is always prepared as an alternative for inaugurations in case of adverse weather conditions. The last time the swearing-in was moved indoors was in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan began his second term. Monday’s forecast predicts the coldest Inauguration Day temperatures since that time.

Outgoing President Joe Biden, members of Congress, and other dignitaries and notable guests will be able to witness the ceremony from inside the Capitol Rotunda. However, even if they gather closely as in 1985, many will need to watch the swearing-in from other locations.

Alternate arrangements are being made to accommodate as many guests as possible. Over 250,000 guests have tickets to view the inauguration around the Capitol grounds, and tens of thousands more are expected in general admission areas or along the inaugural parade route from the Capitol to the White House.

Trump stated that some supporters will be able to watch the ceremony from Washington’s Capital One Arena on Monday, following a rally he plans to hold there the previous day. He mentioned he would visit the arena, which holds about 20,000 people, after his swearing-in and host a modified inaugural parade there.

Trump confirmed that other inaugural events, including the Sunday rally and his attendance at three official inaugural balls on Monday night, will proceed as planned.

The U.S. Secret Service, leading the security planning for the inauguration, is collaborating with organizers to “adapt” its plans due to the schedule changes.

The National Weather Service predicts the temperature to be around 22 degrees (minus-6 Celsius) at noon during the swearing-in, the coldest since Reagan’s second inauguration experienced temperatures of 7 degrees (minus-14 Celsius). Barack Obama’s 2009 swearing-in was 28 degrees (minus-2 Celsius).

“The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will honor the request of the President-elect and his Presidential Inaugural Committee to relocate the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies inside the U.S. Capitol to the Rotunda,” a spokesperson said on Friday.

The committee indicated that with the move indoors, the “vast majority” of ticketed guests will no longer be able to attend in person.

“While we understand this is difficult for many attendees, we strongly encourage those in Washington for the event to attend other indoor venues of their choice to watch the inauguration,” the committee advised.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee is expected to designate viewing locations and will provide further information.

The Capitol Rotunda was one of the areas breached during the January 6, 2021, insurrection by Trump supporters attempting to obstruct the certification of his 2020 defeat to Biden. The temporary inaugural platform, where Trump was originally to be sworn in outdoors, was the site of intense clashes between rioters and police officers defending the Capitol complex.

Earlier on Friday, Trump’s inaugural committee announced that, similar to his first inauguration, Trump will take the oath of office on a family Bible given to him by his mother, as well as the Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration in 1861. Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn in on a family Bible given to him by his maternal great-grandmother.

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News Blend 360 writer Belinda Foster in Los Angeles contributed to this report.