Fox News has learned that there is growing frustration among House and Senate offices over who may 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 were not members of the House and Senate. One official declined to tell Fox who those with "special status" are.
That could mean few dignitaries or others are allowed into the inauguration. 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.
Workers set up a stage for the 60th presidential inauguration in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., on Friday, but the stage was moved indoors due to cooler temperatures expected on Monday. (AP Photo/Morrie Gash)
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 people who went to watch the inauguration," and now they can't.
In 1985, President Reagan's inauguration was moved to the Capitol Rotunda, which held 1,000 people, 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 were advancing" 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 to focus on planning the event. But when Fox pressed multiple lawmakers and other sources, no one could identify a specific threat.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., was surrounded by fencing on Friday in preparation for President-elect Trump's inauguration on Monday. (Fox News Digital)
Still, more than one lawmaker contacted by Fox noted that the president-elect held numerous outdoor events before the assassination in July, and that all other events since then have been held indoors.
Fox was told security officials would erect so-called "geofences" 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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Still, about four inches of snow is expected to fall in Washington on Sunday night, which is starting to change perceptions of this year's inauguration. There was real concern about the thousands of people standing on the National Mall in freezing, fresh snow for hours. Due to severe weather, there are concerns that first responders will not be able to reach people with possible medical emergencies on the National Mall. Another question is how today's melting snow refreezes, creating a noticeably slick surface around the Capitol.
First Lady Nancy Reagan (center) watches the swearing-in of President Reagan during a ceremony in the rotunda under the Capitol dome in Washington, D.C., on January 21, 1985. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)
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 out, 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.