US officials are considering moving parts of President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration indoors because of extreme cold forecast in Washington for Monday, two people familiar with the ongoing talks said.
Officials involved with the inauguration had planned the traditional swearing-in ceremony on a large platform erected on the Capitol’s west front. But Washington is expected to have a high temperature of just 22F (-6C) on Monday, leading officials to consider alternatives inside the Capitol.
Moving the ceremony inside threatens to deprive Trump, who frequently boasts of crowd sizes at his rallies, a large public event for his second swearing-in.
Other parts of the day, including the inaugural parade, could still happen outdoors.
On Jan. 21, 1985, Ronald Reagan’s second inaugural ceremony was moved indoors, with the thermometer hitting 7F at noon that day, and afternoon wind chills as low as -20F. The next coldest January swearing-in was John F. Kennedy’s at 22F in 1961.
