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9 minutes ago

Trump inauguration moved indoors amid record-breaking cold as list of Democrats skipping event grows: Live updates

President-elect says he has ordered inauguration and speeches to take place in the Capitol Rotunda ‘as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985’

Oliver O'Connell,Joe Sommerlad,Gustaf Kilander
Saturday 18 January 2025 18:56 GMT
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Kristi Noem quizzed by senators at confirmation hearing

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The inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will be moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda on Monday because frigid temperatures are expected in the nation’s capital.

It’s set to be the coldest inauguration day in four decades.

“I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who has overseen a number of January 6 cases, said during a sentencing hearing Friday that her recent visit to the Capitol served as a reminder that “people came in and desecrated that beautiful space,” Politico reported.

This comes as South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem – Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security and best known for bragging about shooting dead her dog Cricket in her memoir – dodged questions by senators at her confirmation hearing on Friday on whether she would dare stand up to the president-elect if he threatened to withhold federal disaster relief funding from blue states.

Meanwhile, the number of Democrats who have reportedly said they will skip the inauguration, continues to grow.

9 minutes ago

Trump says he will ‘most likely’ give TikTok a 90-day reprieve on ban

In a phone interview with NBC News’s Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker on Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump said he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban in the U.S. after he takes office on Monday.

Trump said he hadn’t made a final decision but was considering a 90-day extension of the Sunday deadline for TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell to a non-Chinese-buyer or face a U.S. ban.

“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” Trump said.

“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” he said.

Oliver O'Connell18 January 2025 18:56
20 minutes ago

Kelly Rissman writes:

It’s been 8 years since nearly half a million demonstrators descended on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to protest Donald Trump’s presidency on his first full day in office.

The inaugural Women’s March at the time was the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. Many sported pink knit “pussyhats,” a reference to Trump’s own words in the 2005 Access Hollywood tape, in which he bragged about “grabbing [women] by the pussy.”

“We are the popular vote!” some chanted, a reminder that he hadn’t captured the hearts of the majority of Americans, having lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million votes.

“Welcome to your first day, we will not go away!” other marchers promised.

Now that Trump is returning to the White House, so are the protestors. They want to show they have not gone away — even if their numbers are smaller.

Read on...

Eight years after the Women’s March, a new protest is planned for Trump’s return

The 2017 Women’s March became famous for its hats and crowd size. Now, that Trump is returning to the White House, the march will be back but organizers tell Kelly Rissman that they expect a much smaller turnout

Oliver O'Connell18 January 2025 18:45
35 minutes ago

Is Trump’s inaugural parade still happening?

Trump also said that Capital One Arena would “host the Presidential Parade.” Trump said he would “join the crowd” at Capital One after he takes the oath.

The parade is managed by the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, which is trying to figure out what changes need to be made and how the parade will go on.

Normally, thousands of people line the route from the Capitol to the White House, which the president typically traverses following the swearing-in ceremony. Marching bands and other participants from around the country come to Washington to participate, so presumably they will also be part of the newly arranged indoor festivities.

AP

Oliver O'Connell18 January 2025 18:30
45 minutes ago

Snoop Dogg performs at Crypto Ball to celebrate Trump’s inauguration

The Shade Room has posted footage of Snoop Dogg performing at the Crypto Ball, which was held to celebrate Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration.

Snoop is seen performing his classic track “Nuthin’ but a G Thang” at the event in Washington, D.C., hosted by David Sacks, the former PayPal COO and the incoming White House AI and cryptocurrency czar.

Fans on social media were shocked by Snoop’s past criticism of Trump, but the rapper publicly changed his view of the incoming president some time ago.

In an interview with The Sunday Times in January 2024, citing Trump’s pardoning of Michael Harris, co-founder of Snoop’s first label, Death Row, for drug offenses, he said, “I have nothing but love and respect for Donald Trump.”

Oliver O'Connell18 January 2025 18:20
50 minutes ago

Ramaswamy reportedly announcing campaign for Ohio governor

Vivek Ramaswamy, the billionaire biotech entrepreneur joining Elon Musk to recommend drastic cuts to federal spending in Donald Trump’s administration, reportedly plans to run for governor of Ohio.

Ramaswamy — who was reportedly considering a run for J.D. Vance’s open U.S. Senate seat, with Trump’s encouragement — is expected to announce a campaign to replace the state’s term-limited Republican Governor Mike DeWine, according to The Washington Post.

Alex Woodward reports.

DOGE co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy reportedly announcing campaign for Ohio governor

Billionaire DOGE co-chair is expected to announce his campaign after he was passed over to fill JD Vance’s seat

Oliver O'Connell18 January 2025 18:15
1 hour ago

Will members of the public be able to attend the inauguration inside the Capitol?

In his social media post about the weather-related change, Trump said that “various Dignitaries and Guests” would be taken into the Rotunda for the ceremony. It’s unclear how many people or whom.

According to a notice from the House’s sergeant at arms to congressional offices, the vast majority of the seats that had been planned for an outdoor ceremony will be excluded and those tickets will become “commemorative.” Organizers are still deciding whether they can admit people who have tickets in sections 3 and 4, which would have been right in front of the stage outdoors.

The Rotunda can only hold about 600 people, according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

According to Trump’s post, Capital One Arena — where the incoming president plans a rally Sunday afternoon — will be open again on Monday for “LIVE viewing of this Historic event.” No information is available yet on how to sign up for a seat inside the arena on Monday. The arena can hold 20,000 people.

AP

Oliver O'Connell18 January 2025 18:00
1 hour ago

Biden sets record commuting sentences of 2,500 non-violent drug offenders

President Biden will commute the sentences of roughly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses, the White House announced on Friday.

“This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars,” Biden said in a statement. “I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons.”

The announcement, coupled with Biden’s decision last month to commute the sentences of about 1,500 people put on home confinement during the Covid pandemic, means the Democrat has issued the most individual pardons and commutations of any president, according to The Associated Press.

Criminal justice advocates praised the decision.

Josh Marcus reports.

Biden commutes sentences of 2,500 non-violent drug offenders in final days in office

Sweeping commutations come after Biden lessened sentences of 1,500 people last month

Oliver O'Connell18 January 2025 17:45
1 hour ago

Exactly how cold will it be during the inauguration?

The National Weather Service is predicting that the temperature will be about 22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-6 Celsius) at noon EST, when Trump becomes president. That would be the coldest since Reagan’s second inauguration saw temperatures plunge to 7 degrees (minus-14 Celsius).

“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.”

In 2009, it was 28 degrees (minus-2 Celsius) for Barack Obama’s swearing-in. Biden was sworn in four years ago in a relatively balmy 42 degrees (5.5 Celsius).

A few Democrats poked fun at Trump’s decision.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the Democrats’ losing 2024 campaign, posted a photo of himself standing in a snowstorm with the caption, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.”

Monday’s forecast temperature is about the same as it was in Washington 64 years ago, when John F. Kennedy took the oath in a 22-degree chill, and after crews worked overnight clearing 8 inches of fresh snow from the parade route. Kennedy delivered his speech from the Capitol’s east steps without a topcoat, his frosty breath visible as he spoke.

A half-century earlier, William Howard Taft held his 1909 inauguration indoors after 10 inches of snow fell. That’s when the inauguration was still held on March 4, not Jan. 20.

AP

Oliver O'Connell18 January 2025 17:35
1 hour ago

With the inauguration moving indoors, where will Trump now be sworn in?

The Rotunda is prepared as an alternative for each inauguration in the event of inclement weather. The swearing-in was last moved indoors in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan began his second term. Monday’s forecast calls for the lowest Inauguration Day temperatures since that day.

President Joe Biden, members of Congress and other dignitaries and notable guests will be able to view the ceremony from inside the Capitol. On Friday, workers were installing a small platform in the Rotunda.

The U.S. Capitol Police said outside ticketed areas at the Capitol will be closed “due to the extremely cold weather,” so even if people wanted to gather there as Trump takes the oath inside, they won’t be allowed to do so.

AP

Oliver O'Connell18 January 2025 17:18
1 hour ago

Hinting at investigation, Trump blasts FBI’s now-shuttered DEI office

President-elect Donald Elect Donald Trump has indicated that he may order an investigation of the FBI’s shuttered Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

“We demand that the FBI preserve and retain all records, documents, and information on the now closing DEI Office—Never should have been opened and, if it was, should have closed long ago,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. “Why is it that they’re closing one day before the Inauguration of a new Administration? The reason is, CORRUPTION!”

The office was closed last month, following Trump’s November election win.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump blasts FBI DEI office and hints at an investigation ahead of White House return

President-elect accuses FBI of ‘corruption’ after it closes down Office of Diversity and Inclusion before his inauguration

Oliver O'Connell18 January 2025 17:15

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