Fox News has learned that House and senate office Frustration is growing over who might be allowed to attend Monday’s inauguration of President-elect Trump in the Capitol Rotunda.
Fox understands members’ offices were asked to “resubmit” documentation on whether MPs wish to attend and whether MPs’ spouses wish to attend. However, there is no “plus”. Fox was told a spouse’s attendance may be “uncertain.”
One lawmaker said lawmakers were trying to get the governor or other state officials into the Capitol rotunda. But it’s unclear whether officials will be able to meet those demands.
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Efforts were underway to get a small group of people into the Capitol rotunda who were scheduled to sit in the front but not members of the House and Senate. One official declined to tell Fox who those with “special status” are.
This may mean that few dignitaries or others are allowed in inauguration ceremony. One pro-Trump lawmaker was “glad” it was moved inside so lawmakers wouldn’t have to sit outside in the cold for “an hour and a half.” The congressman also noted that House members would likely have the most uncomfortable experience if the inauguration was held outdoors. That’s because of the way the wind blows across the platform and where House members sit on the Western Front.
One lawmaker told Fox News that 700 people traveled to Washington for the inauguration, but now none of them have seats. But the lawmaker “didn’t hear any complaints from the people who went to watch the inauguration,” and now they can’t.
President Reagan’s For the 1985 inauguration, 1,000 people were seated in the Capitol Rotunda due to extreme cold and 7-degree temperatures. Fox colleague Aishah Hasnie reports that the total number of people allowed in the Capitol rotunda for this inauguration may be 600. Additionally, Fox was told that “600 people are being pushed” due to fire concerns. One source said the number could end up being closer to 500.
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Fox has learned that there are specific plans for the 2017 and 2021 inaugurations to move the ceremonies indoors. Officials even rehearsed the scenarios. Additionally, Fox has learned that there were serious discussions about moving the 2017 inauguration indoors due to rain and concerns about umbrellas.
While weather was the main reason for moving the inauguration indoors, multiple sources close to event planning expressed concerns about safety.
“My Spider-Man sense is pretty sharp,” said one congressman who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was busy planning the event. But when Fox pressed multiple lawmakers and other sources, no one could identify a specific threat.
Still, more than one lawmaker contacted by Fox noted that there were multiple outdoor President-elect Prior to the assassination in July, all other events thereafter took place indoors.
Fox was told that security officials will establish a so-called “geofence” around the Capitol to jam and disrupt nefarious communications and/or drones. At one point, there was talk of shutting down all cell phone communications while President-elect Trump was in office.
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That said, about four inches of snow is expected in washington Sunday night, thoughts surrounding this year’s inauguration began to change. There was real concern about the thousands of people standing on the National Mall for hours in the cold, fresh snow. Due to severe weather, there are concerns that first responders will not be able to reach people who may have medical emergencies on the National Mall. Another question is how today’s melting snow refreezes, creating a noticeably slick surface around the Capitol.
There’s another factor: snowball fights.
A senior source told Fox News that there is indeed discussion about snowball fights interfering with events if Washington gets a fresh layer of snow. One source said planners were concerned things could get “out of control” and could lead to injuries.
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Whether indoors or outdoors, this will likely be the snowiest inauguration since Swearing-in Day was moved to January 20 in 1937. The previous record for snowfall on an inauguration day was set in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy was sworn in. Washington received seven-tenths of an inch of snow that day.
Given the weather, it was perhaps most appropriate that poet Robert Frost would speak at President Kennedy’s inauguration.