The surprise news that Monday’s inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump would be moved indoors with weather conditions in the nation’s capital expected to be bitterly cold brought forth a torrent of bitter sniping from Democrats, including CNN’s David Axelrod.
On Friday, the incoming president announced that the inauguration would take place in the Capitol Rotunda due to the “Arctic blast” that could bring biting wind chill and frigid temperatures to Washington, D.C., as it similarly was in 1985 when then-President Ronald Reagan was forced inside.
In a post to X, the political strategist and Barack Obama ally showed his pettiness by posting a picture of John F. Kennedy’s 1961 ceremony and suggested that the real motivation for the shift was that Trump feared the turnout wouldn’t be as large as anticipated, a petty jab from a man who saw his ex-boss’s toxic legacy soundly rejected by voters in November.
In ’61, John F. Kennedy was Inaugurated on the Capitol steps, in windchills of 7 degrees. It was almost as cold for Obama in ’09.
In fairness, Trump IS more than 3 decades older than JFK & Obama were.
Or did he just fear small crowds? pic.twitter.com/3TFJil3HqF— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) January 17, 2025
“In ’61, John F. Kennedy was Inaugurated on the Capitol steps, in windchills of 7 degrees. It was almost as cold for Obama in ’09. In fairness, Trump IS more than 3 decades older than JFK & Obama were. Or did he just fear small crowds?” Axelrod wrote.
Social media users on X clapped back at his petty whining, with one noting that “Axelrod and Obama’s entire political legacy was just completely upended, so I guess being petty is all he has left.”
Axelrod and Obama’s entire political legacy was just completely upended, so I guess being petty is all he has left. https://t.co/0hKTrVQcsy
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) January 17, 2025
This is petty, even for you.
— Mike Shelby | Do Your Area Study (@grayzoneintel) January 17, 2025
That’s beneath even YOU, Axelrod.
Maybe President Trump gave a damn about his attendees and wanted them more comfortable.
Or is that possibility too difficult to fathom?
— Scott Miller (@Trump4547_2025) January 18, 2025
I say this as someone who once respected your work and thought you brought valuable insight: You should strongly consider stepping back from Twitter. You don’t need it professionally, and it seems to bring out the worst in you.
— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) January 18, 2025
This kind of shit is so juvenile and old. It says so much about you.
— Steph (@Steph93065) January 17, 2025
David Axelrod keeps descending into a nastier, bitter version of himself. He used to be a savvy and celebrated political strategist. Trump Derangement Syndrome really does a number on people. Sad. https://t.co/GgGHqaUJbj
— Link Lauren (@itslinklauren) January 17, 2025
Others pointed out that “Axe” may have inadvertently made another great argument for moving the ceremony under the roof with concerns expressed by some that an outdoor setting would be a security challenge considering that Trump has already been the target of two assassination attempts, and there’s a chance that someone could be motivated to take another in a last-minute attempt to prevent him from taking office.
Like Kennedy, Trump has been shot … luckily he survived.
Are you trying to make his point for him? https://t.co/NEYVd6oxCt
— TheFOO (@PolitiBunny) January 17, 2025
And what happened to JFK?
— Jacktron (@jacktronprime) January 17, 2025
You’re mentioning 2 Presidents who got shot? Really?
— SeldenGADawgs (@SeldenGADawgs) January 17, 2025
Your team has tried to unalive Trump twice in the last 6 months.
You need to keep your snarky comments to yourself.— SIPPING THE TEA ☕️ (@MaryForbes14) January 17, 2025
Looks like @davidaxelrod is sad their assassination plan was disrupted… https://t.co/myrKn8nrj3
— Ben (@Ben_Deniston) January 17, 2025
“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows. There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way. It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours on the 20th (In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!),” Trump said in a Friday post to Truth Social.
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