Trump inauguration moved indoors due to extreme cold

Washington: Donald Trump confirmed that his inauguration as US president on Monday will move indoors due to expected freezing weather, undercutting th...

Washington: Donald Trump confirmed that his inauguration as US president on Monday will move indoors due to expected freezing weather, undercutting the Republican's hopes for a grandiose spectacle to kick off his second term.

"There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country," Trump wrote on his Truth Social feed on Friday. "Therefore, I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda."

The dramatic change of plan means Trump will not stand on the Capitol steps overlooking the National Mall, which traditionally hosts a large crowd to welcome new presidents.

Preparations have already been made in Washington for a huge influx of visitors, but many will now have to watch on television.

The last time a president took the oath of office indoors was Ronald Reagan in 1985, who also moved the ceremony into the Capitol's ornate Rotunda due to dangerously cold weather.