Cold temperatures forced President Donald Trump’s second inauguration indoors, but hundreds of fans gathered outside the U.S. Capitol and Capital One Arena thought it a necessary sacrifice to keep Trump safe from the weather and other threats.
After news broke on Friday that Monday’s frigid temperatures would force inauguration ceremonies inside the Capitol’s Rotunda, excitement for Trump’s second administration turned to confusion and, for some, annoyance as they realized their coveted access tickets were nothing more than commemorative souvenirs.
“I had a ticket,” Stephanie Fischer of Mankato, Minnesota, quipped to the Washington Examiner. “Worthless now!”
While a handful of celebrities, tech giants, and lawmakers were chosen to gather in the Rotunda or Emancipation Hall to witness Trump’s oath of office, many constituents who traveled from across the country were faced with limited options.
Some decided to wait in a lengthy line at Capital One Arena, which only holds a maximum of 20,000 seats. With an estimated 250,000 people expected to descend on Washington, thousands were inevitably left out in the cold, forced to watch the inauguration on outside boards.
By the time Trump took the oath of office, temperatures hit 23 degrees with wind chill making it feel like 15 degrees. However, several people the Washington Examiner spoke to outside the arena who did not originally have a ticket to the ceremony got up early to brave the bitter cold to try getting into the arena, where the inauguration was being broadcasted.
One attendee, Kim from Scranton, Pennsylvania, arrived in Washington without a ticket to the inauguration. However, she said she believed holding the ceremony inside would be “better” given the two assassination attempts on his life.
“I’ve supported him since he went down the escalator,” Kim, who did not provide a last name, said, describing her steadfast support for Trump. She added that she’s just “happy to be in the MAGA crowd.”
Many of the people donning Trump hats and shirts throughout the line outside the arena speculated that the bitterly cold weather was not the only reason the ceremonies were moved indoors.
Kris, from Oklahoma, said he was “disappointed” about the move indoors but believed there was “more to it,” claiming security may have played a role.
His thoughts follow those of even some lawmakers. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), an avid Trump supporter, floated in a post to X that there could be a “security threat other than extreme cold temperatures.”
“I have personally attended countless rallies where President Trump spoke in extreme weather conditions from cold to rain to heat,” Greene said, later following up with a statement from the president blaming his decision on the weather.
Outside the arena, most people were fine with the move inside but were suffering from a lack of directions. One man from Fairfax, Virginia, was confused about where to go, claiming that he specifically had tickets for the arena.
Moving the ceremonies and celebrations indoors caused confusion not just for constituents but for congressional offices, as well, who were unsure what to do with the thousands of now-invalid tickets. Several offices had staffers working during the weekend to hand out tickets, with some telling the Washington Examiner that not a single constituent arrived to pick theirs up.
Reactions to the inauguration’s indoor move varied. Some offices told the Washington Examiner that they experienced little to no irritation from constituents who could no longer attend the inauguration.
“By and large, no,” a senior Republican aide told the Washington Examiner. “Nobody who was mad at least made it to me.”
Other offices said they heard non-stop from constituents who were “freaking the f*** out.”
“It’s so unbelievably soft for Trump to move this inside — and that’s kind compared to what Republicans would be saying if the roles were reversed,” one senior Democratic aide told the Washington Examiner. “We’ve got hundreds of pissed off constituents already in DC with nowhere to go because the great Donald Trump is too scared to stand out in the cold.”
Crowds gathered at Capitol barricades rely on lawmaker generosity to see inauguration
As early as 9 a.m., a few hours before Trump was inaugurated, large groups of people gathered outside the Capitol security checkpoints, watching as congressional staffers and members of the press entered the barricades.
Many attendees wore “MAGA” hats and carried Trump-themed bags and memorabilia as they patiently waited for a congressional staffer from their members’ office to come and escort them inside. Some had seats in the overflow room, while others planned to watch the inauguration from their lawmaker’s office.
Some lawmakers like Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO) held a broadcast in his office, complete with coffee and pastries.
For Midwesterners, the chill didn’t bother them. Many attendees were dressed for the weather, wearing multiple layers, hats, and gloves. Children wore “Trump 2025” beanies in various colors, with several in snow boots and suits as if they were headed to build a snowman on the National Mall.
But the National Mall, originally prepared to hold thousands of Trump supporters who would view the ceremony from jumbotrons, was not a viewing option on Monday. The National Park Service sent out an announcement that the screens were taken down at the request of the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
Fischer and her sister, Joelle Julian, from Maryland, gave their initial thoughts to Monday’s ceremony: “It’s not even that cold.”
“We were like, ‘Why is this canceled? Like, we would’ve been fine,” Fischer said. “People were ready to dress for the weather. We’re wearing layers.”
Both Fischer and Julian did not have access to the Capitol or the arena. Standing outside near the Capitol Police checkpoint, Julian said they were simply “here for the vibes.”
“Obviously, it’s disappointing,” Fischer said. “I left my three kids and got a plane ticket, but we’re still, like, we want to come here and still be in DC, you know.”
Tracy Finegan, 58, and Angharad Irving-Jones Phillips, 51, who both live north of Nashville, Tennessee, told the Washington Examiner they were invited by Rep. John Rose (R-TN) to view the inauguration indoors.
Finegan prepared for the “unexpected,” and though it was “disappointing” not to view the ceremony first-hand, it was important for her to still come out on Monday and “be a part of history.”
“This is the most important election inauguration in my lifetime, and to show my patriotism, to show my support, and to see this beautiful Capitol,” Finegan said. “I’ve never been here before, so nothing would keep me away.”
Finegan didn’t want to chance going to the arena for the viewing with other fellow Trump supporters after waiting five-and-a-half hours for Trump’s victory rally on Sunday — and didn’t even get in.
But the weather and the waiting didn’t bother her, she said.
“Safety for me and for President Trump is most important, and everybody else,” she added. “So if they made those decisions based on the weather and safety, I’m in support of that.”
For Irving-Jones Phillips, attending the inauguration was a deeply personal experience. Originally from Dubai, she became a U.S. citizen just 15 months ago.
“I’ve never voted for anybody in my life. So this is my first voting experience,” Irving-Jones Phillips said. “So I thought, since I did vote for Trump, and I’ve been a fan of his since 2016 whilst living in the Middle East — very happy with the Abraham Accords — I thought, ‘I’m in Tennessee. I might as well fly to Washington and be part of history.’”
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She said that she was also disappointed to not witness the occasion outside on the Capitol grounds.
“But at the end of the day, if it’s his safety and our safety, then I don’t mind if you get sworn in a closet. Just get it done,” Irving-Jones Phillips said.