Hundreds of President Donald Trump’s supporters endured frigid temperatures to celebrate his inauguration outside the U.S. Capitol on Monday, chanting “USA” and humming The Star-Spangled Banner as he was sworn into office inside.
Supporters donned “Make America Great Again” beanies and wrapped themselves in “Trump 2024” flags in the subfreezing temperatures as they lined up along barricades near the West entrance of the U.S. Capitol, watching on their phones as Trump was sworn into office. Trump announced Friday that his swearing-in ceremony would take place inside the Capitol Rotunda due to projected low temperatures, forcing most of the 220,000 ticket holders to abandon their plans of watching the ceremony live.
The move marked the first time in 40 years that a presidential swearing-in ceremony was moved indoors, with President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985 being the last to take place in the Capitol Rotunda, also due to freezing temperatures. Temperatures dipped below freezing on Monday afternoon, with wind chills in the teens and air temperatures in the twenties.
The National Park Service said Sunday morning they had previously removed the Jumbotrons that had been set up on the National Mall at the request of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Jumbotrons have lined the National Mall at previous presidential inaugurations, including Trump’s first swearing-in ceremony in 2017. Former President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration did not feature a crowd on the National Mall due to COVID-19 precautions.
Some spectators expressed disappointment over Trump’s decision to move the ceremony indoors but understood the cold could be dangerous, while others speculated that officials made the decision for security reasons. Trump faced two assassination attempts in 2024, including a July attack at a rally in Pennsylvania where a bullet, or fragments, struck his right ear.
Jeff Gehbauer, who travelled from Richmond, Virginia and dressed in matching camouflage pants and a jacket, said he was feeling “pretty good overall” about the temperature. Gehbauer said he traveled to D.C.with his son to attend the inauguration after his son’s initial plans with a friend fell through, as he didn’t want him attending the event alone due to potential security threats.
“D.C. being what it is and Trump being who he is, a lot of people are not passionate about supporting him, they’re passionate about who knows,” Gehbauer said. “I just didn’t want him around here on his own.”
Mark Apel, who traveled from Chicago to attend the inauguration with his daughter after he promised her they would go if Trump won, said the weather was “not a problem” for them and they had always planned to be outside. He added that they were “disappointed” there were no screens to watch the ceremony, but he was still “excited” to attend the inauguration, especially with his daughter, who he said is the future of the country.
“I just hope this is a moment of unity for our country,” Apel said. “It’s something we can all get behind, and we can all realize that we’re all the citizens of the same country. It’s time to unite.”

Annie Hynes and John Hatcher, who said they both received tickets to the inauguration from their state’s representative, said they traveled from Kentucky to attend the inauguration. Hynes said they were “bummed” when they found out the ceremony was moving indoors, but decided to come to the Capitol to be with other Trump supporters.
Hynes said she had talked with people who flew across the country from states like Arizona and Washington to attend the inauguration. She said she spoke to some people who had never seen a Trump bumper sticker on the back of someone’s car before because they lived in liberal areas.
“For so long, it seems like we were scared to be Trump supporters and how you could be attacked or bullied or humiliated just for your beliefs and how you feel,” Hynes said. “So to be out here with the people that have the same thoughts is so refreshing and it feels liberating.”
Rotem Levy, who is studying at New York University but is originally from Tel Aviv, Israel, said she “appreciates” Trump promising to bring the Israeli hostages home and credited him with the ceasefire deal that went into effect on Sunday, resulting in the release of three Israeli hostages from Gaza. Both the Biden and Trump teams worked closely in the days leading up to the ceasefire deal for the war in Gaza, holding daily talks and meetings in Qatar and Israel, leading to both Biden and Trump taking credit for the deal.
“All the complicated situation has been in Israel more than one year now and Trump is a leader that promised back home the hostages,” Levy said. “Yesterday three of our hostages back home thanks to him. He is kind in his words, and we appreciate him.”
The crowd swelled from roughly 250 people to around 500 people by 11:30 a.m., ahead of Trump’s noon Oath of Office. As snow flurried down, some groups briefly chanted “USA” while others, including the Delta Youth Chorale — a choir group from West Monroe, Louisiana — sang songs like The Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful, as crowds cheered and took videos.
The crowd’s energy intensified as Trump and Vice President JD Vance entered the Capitol, with many pulling out their phones to watch live broadcasts. The spectators erupted into cheers as Trump and Vance were sworn into office, and continued to cheer as members of the U.S. Military performed a 21-gun salute, a ceremonial tradition symbolizing the highest honor a nation can render.
Although most people gathered outside the Capitol said they were there to support Trump, Madison B., a counterprotester from Manassas, Virginia who declined to share her last name, stood on the edge of the crowd with a sign reading “You can’t be tough on crime and elect a felon.” She said she voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the November election and stood outside the Capitol for Trump’s inauguration because she was “f*cking angry” and felt her rights were “under attack.”
“I think if you had asked everybody in this crowd 15 years ago, ‘Should a felon be president?’ they would say no,” Madison said. “And just because it’s Donald Trump, now suddenly they say yes.”