All three of Wyoming’s members of Congress joined a body-jam of people in the U.S. Capitol’s rotunda as Donald Trump took the oath of office to became the 47th president of the United States, their staff members confirmed.
The 11th-hour change to the swearing-in ceremony, moving it from outside on account of cold weather, created uncertainty as to whether all lawmakers who wished to attend could actually fit in the circular indoor space beneath the Capitol Dome.
There was no doubt that leaders from both parties — including Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming, the chamber’s second-ranking Republican — would be accommodated.
But after the change was announced by Trump and ceremony organizers Friday, questions swirled over the weekend as to whether all lawmakers planning to attend could find a seat or standing space alongside so many non-lawmakers, former presidents and first ladies, tech CEOs, Trump’s Cabinet picks, family members of Trump and Vice President JD Vance, and more.
Barrasso could be seen in the live video feed of the ceremony. A spokeswoman for fellow Wyoming Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis, along with a spokesman for Wyoming’s U.S. House Rep. Republican Harriet Hageman, confirmed to Cowboy State Daily that they were there as well.
Some Democrats in Congress planned to skip the event all along, but by a wide margin, most said they planned to join Republicans in showing up, according to Axios. It was not clear in the immediate aftermath of the ceremony whether any lawmakers from either party got turned away.
‘Excited And Happy’
It was 24 degrees in Washington under sunny skies, with the wind chill factor making it feel like 11 when Trump was sworn in. Though balmy compared to Wyoming’s temperatures, it was cold enough for Trump supporters to bundle up as they navigated the maze of closed streets and security checkpoints in downtown D.C.
“Everybody seems excited and happy,” Dave Erickson, 44, a boat dealer from Sarasota, Florida, told Cowboy State Daily in a street interview near a busy Metrorail station.
“I haven’t witnessed any negative stuff,” added Erickson, who was visiting with his 17-year-old son Jayden.
Kelly Azeredo, 43, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, was selling Trump souvenirs nearby. Like the Ericksons, she was enjoying a drama-free visit to a city where some 90% of residents are Democrats.
“Nobody from the opposite end is being mean,” she said.
Beefed Up Security
Security checkpoints looked like airport-screening processes on steroids.
To get to Pennsylvania Avenue for a glimpse of Trump’s motorcade, for example, pedestrians went through large white tents where Transportation Security Administration officers and uniformed Secret Service personnel manned metal detectors and dug through purses.
About 250,000 people were ticketed for the swearing-in as originally planned outdoors. Although that was scrapped along with the traditional parade, Plan B called for Trump to greet supporters at Capital One Arena, which can hold about 20,000 people. Nighttime Inauguration balls appeared to remain on track.
Over the weekend, Barrasso and Lummis took part in Inauguration-related activities. Lummis attended a breakfast with Trump and fellow senators. Barrasso welcomed members of Wyoming’s National Guard who arrived to help with security.
Barrasso posted to X a video clip of himself with the Guard members Sunday at Audi Field in D.C.
In the video, the senator and Guard members cheer in unison: “Powder River, Let ‘Er Buck!” and then break into applause.
People watch the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump from the Capital One Arena on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis, Getty Images) 
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Ricky Carioti — Pool, Getty Images) 
Donald Trump is sworn into office by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Saul Loeb — Pool, Getty Images) 
Guest watch as President-elect Donald Trump is seen on screen in the VIP viewing area in Emancipation Hall for the Inauguration of Donald J. Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Jasper Colt — Pool, Getty Images) 
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, poses with members of the Wyoming National Guard, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. The Guard members helped with security measures for Donald Trump's inauguration. (Courtesy Sen. Barrasso's Office) 
A view from the Washington offices of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association showing Pennsylvania Avenue blocked off on Inauguration Day. (Sean Barry for Cowboy State Daily) 
Donald Trump's motorcade moves down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol on Monday about an hour before his swearing-in as president at noon local time. (Sean Barry for Cowboy State Daily) 
Onlookers line Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington for a glimpse of Donald Trump's motorcade before he was sworn in. (Sean Barry for Cowboy State Daily)
