WASHINGTON-
The last time a president took office, there was a global pandemic and a violent siege at the same location in the U.S. Capitol where the ceremony is taking place. This time, the event is part of an unprecedented series of high-risk security events in the nation’s capital.
The Jan. 20 inauguration caps a two-week period of special national security events, occasions of utmost national significance that are boosted by federal funding and led by the U.S. Secret Service. The others include the election recount on Monday and the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday. There is also a big rally planned for President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 19 at Capital One Arena.
“This has never happened before,” Matt McCool, the U.S. Secret Service special agent in charge of the Washington field office, said of the back-to-back events. “But we are flexible and adaptable… We will be prepared.”
Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will take the oath of office from the west front of the Capitol amid extra tight security measures. Some elements, such as a sea of federal agents and police, will be visible. Others, such as bomb detection devices, snipers, and radiation detectors, will be more difficult to detect.
The inauguration will be attended by the outgoing president, Joe Biden, and it is customary for living former presidents to also attend. Trump, a Republican, is also making his own mark on the event by being the first president-elect to invite world leaders to his inauguration. At least one, Argentine President Javier Milei, plans to be there.
Trump’s inauguration will stand in stark contrast to Biden’s four years ago, an event Trump skipped amid his false claims that the election was stolen from him and after sparking an insurrection at the US Capitol. More than 1,000 people were charged with participating in the riot, and Trump was eventually charged in federal court with attempting to subvert the election results.
The cases against him are disappearing following his victory in the 2024 presidential election. He has also pledged to pardon rioters.
Biden, a Democrat, said in an op-ed in The Washington Post this week that he was “determined to do everything I can to respect the peaceful transfer of power and restore the traditions we have long respected in the United States.”
“The elections will be certified peacefully,” he stated. “I have invited the incoming president to the White House on the morning of January 20 and will be present at his inauguration that afternoon.”
Law enforcement is preparing for possible demonstrations this time, but does not foresee any major problems.
“At this time, we are not tracking any credible or specific threats associated with these events,” said Dave Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office.
That said, federal law enforcement is operating in a heightened threat environment, especially after the New Year’s Eve attack in New Orleans.
Unlike protests or other major events in the District of Columbia, traditional bureaucracy is eliminated for special national security events, allowing federal, municipal and state law enforcement agencies to work together. Other similar events include the State of the Union address. Monday’s electoral count was also considered as such after the violent riots four years ago by Trump supporters.
The District of Columbia National Guard will deploy approximately 7,800 soldiers for perimeter security, which includes traffic control and patrolling Metro stations. Thousands of federal agents, police and other law enforcement agencies will be present.
The Secret Service is in charge of security for national special security events, and planning for the inauguration began as soon as the last one ended. But this year, the agency is under increased scrutiny and pressure after Trump was wounded in a failed assassination attempt at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and after a second failed attempt at his Florida golf course. . Trump was not injured in the second.
One of the biggest criticisms was that multiple local, county and federal law enforcement agencies were not communicating effectively and that lapse allowed the Pennsylvania gunman to slip through their fingers until it was almost too late. The gunman was shot dead on a rooftop by a counter-sniper after shooting Trump.
But national security events are the “Cadillac of security models” with high-level protection, said US Secret Service spokesman Anthony Gugliemi. There will be a joint information center where the agencies will work together and communicate.
But he noted that not all rallies or demonstrations can be considered special security events.
In preparation for the inauguration, the FBI has established command posts in the Washington field office and at FBI headquarters to act as “central hubs for employees to gather intelligence, assess potential threats, coordinate investigations, and augment resources.” as needed,” the office said. in a statement.
Washington field office analysts will work before and during the inauguration to assess and share intelligence with other law enforcement agencies, and the FBI will have “personnel and other assets ready to immediately respond and address any security concerns or threats that arise.” “. ” said the office.
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Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Ashraf Khalil in Washington contributed to this report.