Presidential Oaths Under Roofs: The History of Indoor Inaugurations

Jan 20, 2025 Komal Das

President Donald Trump's second inauguration will take place indoors on Monday due to forecasts of extreme cold

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Trump will be sworn in as the 47th U.S. President in the Capitol Rotunda, with the parade at Capitol One Arena

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He is not the only president to move his inauguration indoors because of frigid conditions

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This Inauguration Day is expected to be the coldest since 1985, when Ronald Reagan was sworn in during 7-degree weather

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Like Trump's second inauguration, Reagan's second swearing-in was held inside the Capitol rotunda

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In 1909, William Taft took the oath of office inside the Senate chamber after a blizzard dropped nearly 10 inches of snow on D.C

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However, the parade was held outdoors, featuring 20,000 marchers

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Some presidents have held inauguration events outside despite icy, cold temperatures, like President John F. Kennedy

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