President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural address on Jan. 20 will be held indoors because of the dangerously cold weather forecast for Washington next week, he confirmed.
The address, like other speeches, will now take place inside the rotunda of the US Capitol, rather than outside the building.
The inaugural parade will also be held indoors at Washington’s Capitol One Arena, along with all three inaugural balls.
The last president to take the oath of office indoors was Ronald Reagan in 1985, when cold weather hit the US Capitol.
In a statement posted on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he doesn’t “want to see people hurt or hurt in any way” amid freezing temperatures.
“These are dangerous conditions for tens of thousands of police officers, first responders, police K9s and even horses,” as well as “hundreds of thousands” of fans.
“In any case, if you decide to come, dress warmly,” he added.
Capitol One Arena will also be open to watch the inaugural address live.
Inauguration Day in Washington DC is forecast to be extremely cold, with temperatures expected to range from -11C (12F) to -5C (23F).
“Everyone will be safe, everyone will be happy, and together we will make America great again,” Trump wrote.
