Freezing. This is how Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony is shaping up on Monday January 20 in Washington. “An arctic wind is sweeping the country. Therefore, I have decided that the inauguration speech will be delivered in the Capitol rotunda, as for Ronald Reagan in 1985,” declared the president-elect on his Truth Social network. “A first in forty years”, underlines The Washington Post.
Polar temperatures of between −5°C and −11°C are in fact expected in the federal capital. Further snowfall is also expected over the weekend as well as strong gusts of wind, further lowering felt temperatures.
The Capital One Arena, a large multi-sport venue located in the center of Washington, will be open to the public to follow the event live. “I will join the public there after my oath”promised the 47e American president. The Arena has a capacity of 20,000 seats. A far cry from the 220,000 tickets distributed for the original ceremony. An annoyance for the Republican, very fond of major rallies in his honor, as recalled by Washington Post.
“The president-elect is very keen on the scale of his rallies. After his last inauguration [en 2017]he claimed that reports showing that Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009 was attended by more people than his own proved that the media was biased against him.
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A day of high tension
For its part, the channel’s website CNN reports that the weather complicates the work of federal agencies responsible for ensuring the security of a high-voltage event, including the still vivid memory of January 6, 2021 and the assault on the Capitol led by supporters of Donald Trump. Nearly 25,000 police and soldiers should therefore be deployed on the streets of the city.
Faced with an atmosphere that they fear is heavy, some residents have decided to leave the capital for the duration of the festivities. The Guardian notably met Alejandra Whitney-Smith, who decided to spend a week away from everything and especially without technology. “Oh, no, I can’t be here. […] I don’t want to be surrounded by this negative and hostile energy,” she confided to the British daily.
However, Washington will be far from empty: many Republican supporters plan to make the trip, unimpressed by the forecast temperatures. “The city’s hotels had, as of Wednesday, a reservation rate of 70% and prices between $900 and $1,500 [entre 875 et 1 450 euros] at night”, details the London title.
