Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony is to be moved indoors due to cold weather forecast for Washington DC on Monday.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president-elect said he will now take the oath of office inside the Capitol Rotunda building, where dignitaries and guests will gather and prayers and other speeches will also be delivered.

It means the roughly 250,000 people who were ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds will no longer be able to do so.

Thousands more were expected to be in general admission areas or to line the route from the Capitol Building to the White House.

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Mr Trump said the Capital One Arena in Washington will open for a live viewing of his swearing-in ceremony and to host the Presidential Parade.

“I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my swearing-in,” he said.

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Outlining the reasons for the swearing-in ceremony being moved in doors, he wrote in his Truth Social post: “The weather forecast for Washington DC, with the wind chill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows.

“There is an Arctic blast sweeping the country. 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.”

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Preparations were under way for the presidential inauguration to take place outdoors. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Preparations were under way for the presidential inauguration to take place outdoors. Pic: Reuters

Mr Trump wrote that all other events from related to his inauguration will “remain the same”, including the Victory Rally at the Capital One Arena on Sunday and all three Inaugural Balls on Monday evening.

He added: “Everyone will be safe, everyone will be happy, and we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

A spokesperson for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) said in a statement that it will “honour 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”.

In from the cold – not a decision Donald Trump will have taken lightly

David Blevins, Sky correspondent, in Washington

It’s 40 years since they moved the inauguration of a US president indoors.

But with a predicted low of -11C, Donald Trump didn’t have much choice.

He and Vice President-elect JD Vance will take the oath in the Capitol Rotunda, in the heart of the Capitol Building.

That’s a huge disappointment to the many thousands who had obtained a ticket for the outdoor event.

Writing on his Truth Social media platform, the president-elect said: “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the country.

“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.”

Instead of a parade along the historic mall, the president will join supporters at the 20,000-capacity Capitol One Arena afterwards.

In 1985, Ronald Regan’s second inauguration was moved indoors due to inclement weather.

While he often speaks of how fit he is, President-elect Trump is 79 years old.

A decision to proceed with an outdoor inauguration resulted in the shortest presidency in US history.

In the 1840s, President William Henry Harrison delivered a two-hour speech without coat or hat.

He died of pneumonia one month later.

The last time a swearing-in ceremony was held indoors was Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985. Monday’s forecast suggests the lowest inauguration day temperatures since that day.

The National Weather Service is predicting the temperature to be around -6C at noon during the swearing-in, the coldest since Mr Reagan’s second inauguration saw temperatures plunge to -14C.

Barack Obama’s 2009 swearing-in was -2C. Adding to the bite, the wind is forecast to be 30 to 35mph.

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