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The last time winter in Washington forced the US presidential inauguration to be held inside
Donald Trump’s inauguration will be the third since 1900 to be held inside...

Washington, D.C., temperatures are nearing record lows, prompting inauguration planners to reconsider the logistics of the event by moving it indoors. A cold inauguration is often linked to the untimely death of the 9th President, William Henry Harrison, who passed away just one month after his inauguration, reportedly from pneumonia he developed after delivering a lengthy speech in freezing weather.
The president-elect took to his social media site, Truth Social, to announce the change, citing the cold temperatures and his “obligation to protect the People of our Country.”
“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the wind chill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” wrote the president-elect. For those interested in attending the event, the Captial One Arena in downtown will be opened, with Trump commititing to “join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing In.” The lines at the Arena are already forming as supporters of the president-elect flock to the capital.

This is the third time the event has been held inside since 1900
On Monday, January 20, 2025, Washington, D.C., is forecasted to see temperatures around 20°F when the festivities are set to begin at noon. While the Capitol’s west front provides an iconic backdrop for the swearing-in ceremony, Donald Trump’s inauguration will not be the first in recent history to move indoors due to extreme weather.
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration was hosted inside the Capitol Rotunda after the coldest inaugural day on record saw temperatures plunge to 7°F with a wind chill of -25°F, making outdoor conditions unsafe. When announcing on social media that the event would be moved, the president-elect noted the similarities to the circumstances surrounding Reagan’s second inauguration.
“Therefore, I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather,” said the president-elect on Truth Soical. Unsurprisingly, the president-elect, who is always focused on the optics said that the move will provide “a very beautiful experience for all, and especially for the large TV audience!”
The only other time in history the ceremony has taken place indoors was in 1909, during the inauguration of President William Taft. A blizzard blowing through the Washington-area was the culprit during that event.
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