WASHINGTON (AP) — Bad weather forecasts mean President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda and people visiting Washington from around the country 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 such a change has been made. Plans are underway to accommodate some visitors in town for Trump’s second inauguration at the city’s pro basketball and hockey arena.
Here’s what you need to know if you were planning to come to Washington, with updates to come:
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.
How many members of the public can attend the inauguration inside?
In his social media post about the weather-related change, Trump said that “various Dignitaries and Guests” would be taken into the Rotunda for the ceremony, although it’s unclear how many people that meant, or whom.
According to Trump’s post, Capital One Arena — where the incoming president is holding a Sunday afternoon rally, an event he said Friday is still on — will be open again on Monday for “LIVE viewing of this Historic event.” No information is available yet on how to sign up for a seat inside the arena Monday.
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.
Normally, thousands of people line the route from the U.S. 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.
Are other inaugural events still happening?
According to Trump, yes. The Republican president-elect said on Friday that other inaugural events, including the Sunday rally and his participation in three inaugural balls on Monday night, would take place as scheduled.
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, D.C., 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).
A few Democrats poked fun at Trump’s decision. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the Democrats’ losing 2024 campaign, posted a photo of himself standing in a snowstorm with the caption, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.”
If I choose not to go to the inauguration, can I get a refund?
Tickets to the inauguration when it was planned to be outside are free, so no refunds are needed for that.
Associated Press inquiries about any plans by American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines to offer refunds or other arrangements for travelers changing their plans were not immediately answered. A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said in an email that no changes in the company’s policy, which allows customers to change or cancel itineraries up to 10 minutes before departure, were planned.
Similar requests to hotel chains including Hilton, IHG, Marriott and Best Western Hotels were not immediately answered. The AP also contacted the U.S. Department of Transportation to ask whether it had intervened with airlines about potential refunds but had not heard back.
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Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP, Beaumont at https://x.com/tombeaumont. Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
