Due to President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to move his annual ceremonies home, legislative workers and politicians have been left in the dark and unsure how to accommodate the dozens of electorate who traveled across the nation for the historic occasion.
Some lawmakers and their aides were caught off guard by this, according to several sources who told the Washington Examiner that offices were not given due notice, particularly since many planned to continue handing out tickets to constituents on Friday and over the weekends.
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It is unclear what will happen to the hundreds of observers expected on the Capitol grounds and the National Mall, and if they will daring the conditions, despite Capital One Arena being open to Trump supporters about a mile away from the Capitol.
The area, home of the Washington Wizards and Capitals, has a maximum capacity of only over 20, 000 tickets. An estimated 250, 000 people were anticipated to go, and among the ticketed guests included not only general entrance but also lawmakers, previous presidents, businessmen, and celebrities invited by Trump who had more affluent exposure to the grounds.
The majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person, according to a notice sent out by the House sergeant-at-arms late on Friday afternoon. Although it’s not yet clear how many people can attend the event, officials said it was their understanding that” all Members of Congress will be invited to the indoor ceremony.”
Sources told the Washington Examiner that the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Events had a walkthrough of the grounds as early as this morning before the announcement that the ceremonies would move inside.
Many employees told the Washington Examiner that they are still unsure about what to do with their constituents.  ,
” We don’t know squat”, one aide said.
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When asked if there was any information swirling around about the inauguration, another responded,” Not at all.” ” It’s a mess”.
Some have suggested that offices try to organize their own watch parties or events, but many are awaiting guidance from the leadership on how to proceed. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA ) spokespersons have not yet responded to inquiries from the Washington Examiner.  ,
