Huge blow to Trump’s inauguration plans

Donald Trump’s hope that he would be sworn in as president in front of a crowd of a million or more now will not happen.

Donald Trump has been dealt a huge blow to his inauguration plans for Monday, US time.

Like almost all inaugurations before, he had been hoping to swear the oath in front of a crowd of a million or more on Washington DC’s National Mall. However, the whole inauguration will now be moved indoors due to predictions it could be the coldest such event for 40 years.

Temperatures in Washington DC are expected to sink as low as -13C and not peak any higher than -5C as an Arctic storm blows through.

Donald Trump is sworn in as President on January 20, 2017. Picture: Mark RALSTON / AFP

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Mr Trump will now be sworn in within the Capitol Building instead.

“I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather,” Mr Trump posted on Truth Social.

President Regan’s second inauguration was held in the Capital Rotunda due to a forecast of -14C temperatures and a wind chill factor taking it down to -32C. The presidential parade was held in a sports arena.

A view inside the Rotunda of the US Capitol building where Trump will now have his inauguration as US president on January 20. Picture: SAUL LOEB / AFP

US President Ronald Reagan is sworn in as 40th President of the United States beside his wife Nancy Reagan. Picture: AFP

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“We will open Capital One Arena (a local stadium) on Monday for LIVE viewing of this Historic event, and to host the Presidential Parade. I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing In,” Mr Trump added.

“There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country.

“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 (In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!),” Mr Trump posted.

In 2017, Mr Trump’s staff claimed he had the biggest inauguration crowd ever on the National Mall. This was despite images suggesting far fewer people had spectated compared to either of Barack Obama’s ceremonies which were each estimated to have got more than a million people.

Moving the ceremony indoors will mean Mr Trump does not not get the chance to better Mr Obama’s numbers.

Mr Trump is due to hold a rally in the Capital One Arena on Sunday.

The rally on the eve of the inauguration will reportedly feature the world’s richest man Elon Musk, while the Village People, the band behind his signature song “Y.M.C.A.”, have confirmed they will perform.

‘Golden age’

America and the world will be watching Mr Trump’s inaugural speech to see how he sets the tone for a presidency that many expect to be even more volatile than his first.

Since the election that tone has veered between promises of a “golden age” and vows of vengeance against his enemies -- coupled with outlandish territorial threats against Greenland and Panama and promises of sweeping tariffs.

Mr Trump’s official photo as the 47th US president -- and the first to be a felon -- even bears a striking resemblance to a viral 2023 mugshot taken in another criminal case.

He is also expected to quickly issue executive orders on key topics including migration, and to pardon some of the pro-Trump rioters who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

But the guest list for Mr Trump’s inauguration underscores how the man whose 2016 victory shocked the world has now become the new normal for American politics.

Mr Musk and fellow billionaires Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Mark Zuckerberg of Meta will all reportedly attend, highlighting the tech moguls’ efforts to court Mr Trump.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Picture: ANGELA WEISS / AFP

Outgoing president Joe Biden, 82, warned of a dangerous “oligarchy” around the top of Trump’s government in a dark farewell speech from the Oval Office on Wednesday.

On his final full day in office on Sunday, the Democrat is set to visit a Black church and museum in Charleston in South Carolina while Mr Trump is rallying in Washington.

Star guests

Where many celebrities shunned Mr Trump’s inauguration in 2017, this time country star Carrie Underwood will sing “America the Beautiful” during the inauguration.

And his MAGA rally on Sunday will see Trump return to arguably his favorite part of politics -- the campaigning where he fired up huge crowds with grievance-filled speeches.

Overall the contrast could not be bigger with Mr Trump’s first swearing-in, which was largely overshadowed a row over the size of the crowd on the National Mall, initiated by his spokesman.

Things were very different four years ago too.

Mr Trump left the White House in disgrace after the Capitol riots by protesters supporting his false claims to have beaten Biden in the 2020 election, while Biden pledged to heal post-Trump America.

Written off by many, Trump nevertheless succeeded in capitalizing on voter frustration with Biden’s age, the state of the economy and record numbers of illegal migrants to secure his comeback.

The challenge now is for Mr Trump -- who will supersede Mr Biden as the oldest person in US history to be sworn in as president -- to deliver.

He will enter the White House with higher ratings than his last term, according to a CNN poll, but must hope the US economy stays positive.

Originally published as Huge blow to Trump’s inauguration plans