Lightning struck the Capitol dome in Washington, DC, on New Year’s Eve, leaving observers stunned — and leading social media users to wonder if the bolt heralded a new era of change.
Lightning also struck the Washington Monument on the other end of the Mall.
After posting the videos of lightning simultaneously striking the U.S. Capitol building and the Washington Monument on New Year's Eve, I have lots of people telling me it's a sign or omen. Much of it based on their own political beliefs. I also think it's a sign. A sign that… pic.twitter.com/bpP5xvA6iL
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) January 1, 2025
It was not immediately clear whether either structure had sustained damage. The Capitol has been equipped with a lightning rod since the 19th century, which directs the energy of lightning strikes into the ground to prevent damage.
A version of the lightning rod was invented by Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers. Franklin’s experiments with lightning and electricity were groundbreaking in the mid-18th century, and remain legendary to this day. They represented only one part of Franklin’s prolific endeavors in a wide variety of fields.
The District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia were hit by an electrical storm, and lightning was observed throughout the area surrounding our nation’s capital.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
Photo: file
