A hitchhiker’s guide to what snowballing has to do with moving the inauguration inside

Fox News has learned that House and Senate offices are growing frustrated over who might be allowed to attend President-elect Trump’s inauguration inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday.

Fox has been told that member offices have been asked to “resubmit” documentation on whether the MP wants to attend and whether the MP’s spouse wants to attend. However, there is no “plus-one”. And Fox was told that the presence of a spouse could be “questionable.”

One lawmaker said members were trying to force governors or other state officials into the Capitol Rotunda. But it was not clear whether officials could comply with those demands.

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There is an effort to bring into the Capitol Rotunda a small group of people who were supposed to sit in front but were not members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. One official declined to identify to Fox who those with “special status” might be.

This probably means that very few dignitaries or other persons are allowed inside inauguration. One Trump-supporting lawmaker was “happy” to be moving inside so the lawmaker doesn’t have to sit outside in the cold for “an hour and a half.” The MP also noted that members of the House of Representatives would probably have had the most unpleasant experience if the inauguration had been outside. This is because of the way the wind blows across the platform and where members of the House were supposed to sit on the west front.

One lawmaker told Fox that 700 people traveled to Washington for the inauguration, and now none of them will be sitting anywhere. But the lawmaker “hasn’t heard a single complaint” from people who travel to see the inauguration in person and now can’t.

President Reagan The 1985 inauguration, moved inside due to extreme cold and 7-degree temperatures, drew a crowd of 1,000 in the Capitol Rotunda. Fox’s Aishah Hasnie reports that the total number allowed inside the Capitol Rotunda for this inauguration is likely to be 600. Additionally, Fox was told “600 is up” due to fire concerns. One source says the number could be closer to 500 before all is said and done.

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Fox was told there are concrete plans for the 2017 and 2021 inaugurations to move the ceremonies indoors. Officials even rehearsed these scenarios. In addition, Fox was told there were serious discussions about moving the 2017 inauguration inside due to rain and umbrella concerns.

While weather is the main reason for moving the inauguration indoors, multiple sources close to the planning of the event have expressed security concerns.

“My Spidey senses are on,” said one lawmaker who spoke on condition of anonymity and is deeply involved in the planning of the event. But when Fox pressed various lawmakers and other sources, no one could identify a specific threat.

However, more than one lawmaker contacted by Fox noted that there were more outdoor events elected president before the assassination attempt in July, and every other event since then has been indoors.

Fox was told security officials would erect what was described as a “geo-fence” around the Capitol to jam and disrupt malicious communications and/or drones. At one point, there was talk of shutting down all mobile communications during the period when President-elect Trump was on the platform.

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In addition, about four inches of snow is forecast in Washington Sunday evening began to change the thinking about this year’s inauguration. There is genuine concern about the thousands of people on the National Mall standing for hours in the cold, fresh snow. There was concern that emergency personnel would be able to reach those who might have medical emergencies while on the National Mall due to inclement weather. Another question is how the snow that melted today could have refrozen, creating significantly slippery surfaces around the Capitol.

And there is another factor: clumping.

A senior source told Fox that there was actually discussion about snowballing, which would interfere with the event if Washington gets a fresh snowfall. One source said planners were concerned it could “get out of hand” and could contribute to injuries.

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Inside or out, this could be the snowiest inauguration since Inauguration Day was moved to January 20, 1937. The previous record for snow on Inauguration Day was set in 1961, for the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. Washington received seven-tenths of an inch of snow that day.

And given the timing, it was perhaps fitting that poet Robert Frost spoke at JFK’s inauguration.