This will not be the first time an inauguration was not held on the Capitol steps.
The Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump has been moved indoors due to extreme cold weather.
“It is my obligation to protect the People of our Country but, before we even begin, we have to think of the Inauguration itself,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 17.
“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,” he added.
“The various Dignitaries and Guests will be brought into the Capitol. This will be a very beautiful experience for all, and especially for the large TV audience!” Trump also wrote.
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which organizes the Inauguration and events surrounding it, said in a statement that it moved the swearing-in in accordance with Trump’s wishes.
“The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will honor 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,” they said.
It was scheduled to be held on the steps of the U.S. Capitol as is tradition. But it is forecasted to be 25 degrees Fahrenheit in Washington that day, according to AccuWeather.
Instead, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn in inside the Capitol Rotunda, which connects the Senate and House and consists of paintings of moments in U.S. history. It is also where prominent figures lie in state and honor.
The parade, traditionally down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House, will instead be at Capitol One Arena, home of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals. The arena will also be used for people to watch the swearing-in. Trump is scheduled to hold a rally there on Jan. 19.
There will be no change to the other events, such as the inaugural balls, and therefore, they will proceed as planned, Trump said.
The balls are the Commander in Chief Ball, the Liberty Inaugural Ball, and the Starlight Ball.
On Jan. 18, there will be receptions, fireworks, and a dinner hosted by Vance at Trump’s golf club in Sterling, Virginia.
The following day, ahead of the rally, Trump will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, where members of the military are buried. Following the rally, he will host a candlelight dinner.
On Inauguration Day, before the swearing-in ceremony, Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, will have tea with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden after a church service.
This would not be the first time an inauguration was not held on the Capitol steps.
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan held his swearing-in at the White House and Rotunda due to cold temperatures. There was no parade.
In 1963, President Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office on Air Force One after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.