Earlier this week, President-elect Donald Trump and his team opted to move his inauguration inside citing “dangerous conditions.”
“I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way. It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours on the 20th (In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!),” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies responded accordingly:
“The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will honor the request of the President-elect and his Presidential Inaugural Committee to move the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies inside the U.S. Capitol to the Rotunda.”
As a result of the move, the Committee further added:
“The vast majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person,” the committee said in a notice sent to ticket holders later Friday. It urged would-be spectators to watch at “indoor venues of their choice,” adding that it’s “designating certain places to watch and will provide additional information.”
The move surprised many, including the MAGA base. MAGA darling Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, commented with suspicion:
Other politicians appeared to troll Trump’s decision:
Governor Tim Walz
Former Ambassador Susan Rice
Many people on Capitol Hill have already opted out of the ceremony altogether, most notably former first lady, Michelle Obama.
Regardless, Trump’s decision is pretty legitimate. The temperature on Inauguration Day at noon — when the president-elect swears in — is expected to be in the low 20s, which is around 20 degrees below normal — likely the coldest since Reagan’s second inauguration.
