The historic ceremony was moved indoors after weather forecasts predicted dangerously cold temperatures for Monday.
President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the country’s 47th president on Jan. 20 in an event that will include welcoming ceremonies from business and global leaders and feature extravagant celebrations from well-known performers.
After weather forecasts predicted temperatures as low as 22 degrees F during the time Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance are set to take the oath of office, the swearing-in ceremony was moved inside the Capitol Rotunda. This will be the first time a commander-in-chief has been inaugurated indoors since President Ronald Reagan was sworn in for his second term 40 years ago.
The musical performers include country music stars Carrie Underwood and Lee Greenwood, tenor Christopher Macchio, and the Village People. Among the business moguls planning to attend Trump’s inauguration are Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Here’s everything you need to know about Trump’s inauguration:
Ceremony Moved to Capitol Rotunda
Trump said on Jan. 17 that the ceremony would move indoors after dangerously cold temperatures were forecast for Inauguration Day.
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) honored Trump’s request.
Trump said that the Capital One Arena in Washington would be open on Monday for live viewing of his inauguration and to host the presidential parade.
Trump’s family will accompany him in the Capitol Rotunda, including his wife, Melania, his five children, and his grandchildren. Because the space can only hold 600 people, there are limited spots for Supreme Court justices, former presidents and their spouses, Cabinet nominees, military leaders, and visiting global leaders. There are also 535 congressional lawmakers who historically get prime seating, but some Democrats have said they will skip the ceremony.
While Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were all invited to the dais, it’s not yet clear who will get a seat in the Rotunda.
By Jacob Burg
