Donald Trump has been sworn in as president of the US for a second term – and this time there won’t be any arguments about crowd sizes. The most glaringly obvious difference in optics this time round for both those in attendance and the millions watching around the world was the fact this year’s ceremony was conducted indoors. The US has been experiencing significant snowfall and wintery conditions. As guests gathered in Washington DC to see Trump sworn in as 47th US president, the temperature was around -6°C.
Trump announced on social media last Friday that the ceremony would be moved to the US Capitol building’s Rotunda. This is not the first time the ceremony has been held there – Ronald Reagan also moved his inauguration to the Rotunda in 1985 because of the cold weather.
Looking on was the Trump family – his wife Melania, and his children Ivanka, Barron and Donald Jr. Joining them were many of the former residents of the White House, including Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. Michelle Obama and Karen Pence, the wife of Trump’s former vice president Mike Pence, skipped the inauguration.
