President-elect Donald Trump‘s highly anticipated swearing-in ceremony, originally set to take place outdoors as part of Monday’s historic inauguration, has been moved indoors due to concerns over the dangerously cold temperatures expected.
Plans are underway to have Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance sworn into office inside the US Capitol Rotunda, the sources said. Discussions regarding where to hold the inaugural parade and other celebrations are still underway. However, Trump’s team has been in talks to potentially hold some of the festivities at the Capital One arena, where Trump will host a rally on Sunday.
Trump’s team is also in talks with the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies about how to handle the tens of thousands of people who had planned to travel to the National Mall to witness Trump being sworn in. Those decisions are still under consideration, the sources told CNN.
Officials are worried about the low temperatures being a health risk to attendees and guests.
The last president to be sworn in indoors was Ronald Reagan in 1985, when daytime temperatures dipped to 7 degrees with a windchill of -25. Reagan took the oath of office inside the Capitol rotunda. His inaugural parade was canceled.
Aside from the wintry conditions, former U.S. Secret Service agent and conservative commentator Dan Bongino has voiced his reservations for weeks, warning that the current Secret Service team may lack the capability to adequately secure an outdoor event of this magnitude.
With Trump’s swearing-in just days away, an extraordinary security operation is underway in Washington to ensure the safety of the incoming president and the hundreds of thousands of attendees expected to witness the historic event.
High-Tech Scans for Radiological Threats
In a precautionary move, pilots are flying helicopters in a meticulous grid pattern over the city to scan for any “radiological or nuclear irregularities.” Equipped with cutting-edge technology, these aircraft can detect even the faintest trace of a radiological anomaly, triggering an alarm that alerts authorities to potential threats.
On Monday, two hundred fifty thousand ticketed guests are expected to fill the nation’s capital.
Robust Security Presence
The heightened vigilance doesn’t stop there. A staggering 25,000 law enforcement officers and military personnel will be stationed throughout D.C., forming a comprehensive security net to deter and respond to any potential threats.
Officials are determined to leave no stone unturned in protecting the president-elect, the dignitaries in attendance and the public.
