In a ceremony driven indoors by frigid weather, Donald John Trump, 78, will take the oath of office and return to the White House as the nation’s 47th president on Jan. 20, the highlight of a four-day celebration that will include fireworks, processions, partisan rallies, ballroom parties and church services.
Because of extreme cold, the inauguration ceremony will take place inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, instead of the West Front of the Capitol, Trump said Friday on Truth Social.
“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” Trump said in his post. “If you decide to come, dress warmly!”
In Washington, you’ll feel temperatures near 20 degrees, with wind gusts up to 30 mph creating bitterly cold wind chills in the single digits all day, USA TODAY reported. Temperatures will fall below zero at night, the National Weather Service said.
Here’s the schedule leading up to Inauguration Day and what you can expect before and after Jan. 20.
Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.
Trump said the Capital One Arena, with a capacity of about 20,000, would open on Monday for live TV viewing of the ceremony and as the location of the Presidential Parade. He plans to visit the arena after being sworn in.
All other inaugural events will remain the same, Trump said, including the Victory Rally at the Capital One Arena at 3 p.m. Sunday, with doors opening at 1 p.m.
Alternatives are underway to let tens of thousands of people view the inauguration, the Washington Post reported.
If you’re in Washington, besides being cold, you’ll see tens of thousands of spectators, 30 miles of temporary fencing and about 25,000 security personnel.
The inauguration comes after two attempts on Trump’s life and two New Year’s Day attacks on ordinary Americans, one in New Orleans and the other in Las Vegas.
Though security officials are concerned about lone-wolf or “copycat” attacks, they say there are no specific, coordinated threats to the inauguration, Reuters reports.
The People’s March on Washington is a massive rally in opposition to Trump planned for Saturday, with thousands of participants expected.
This year, Inauguration Day coincides with a federal holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Carrie Underwood will sing “America the Beautiful” during Trump’s inauguration, a Presidential Inaugural Committee spokesperson confirmed. She’ll be accompanied by the Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club.
Rocker Kid Rock and 1970s-era disco band the Village People also will perform.
Inaugural events include:
Trump is expected to speak at all three inaugural balls.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place inside the Capitol Rotunda. Trump will put his left hand on the Bible, hold up his right hand and say:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
The oath is specified in Article II, Section 1, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution. In keeping with tradition, it will be administered by the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Roberts.
The second inauguration of Ronald Reagan on Jan. 20, 1985, was forced indoors due to intense cold of about 7 degrees.
As USA TODAY noted that day, “The USA’s 50th inauguration today moves indoors – a victim of bong-chilling temperatures that threatened 350,000 invited guests and parade watchers.”
CONTRIBUTING Doyle Rice, Fernando Cervantes Jr. and Kinsey Crowley
SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; Trump Vance Inaugural Committee; Greater Washington Board of Trade; Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies; washington.org; usa.gov; thewashingtonlobbyist.com
This story was updated to add new information.
