President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural address on January 20 will be held indoors due to the dangerously cold weather forecast for Washington next week, he has 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 Capital One Arena in downtown Washington approximately one mile (1.6 km) away, along with all three inaugural balls.
The last president to be sworn in indoors was Ronald Reagan in 1985, when cold weather also 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, K9 officers and even horses,” as well as “hundreds of thousands” of fans.
“In any case, if you decide to come, dress warmly,” he added.
Capital One Arena will also be open for live viewing of the inaugural address.
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.
Ahead of the inauguration, organizers said about 220,000 tickets would be given away to watch the event on the grounds of the US Capitol.
Those without a ticket could also see the ceremonies on the National Mall.