Unprecedented Number Of Troops Descend On Washington, D.C., For Biden’s Inauguration

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A member of the Virginia National Guard stands outside the razor wire fencing surrounding the U.S. Capitol on Friday. Up to 25,000 troops are expected by Inauguration Day.

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Members of the National Guard walk past the dome of the Capitol Building in Washington on Thursday.

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In terms of security, the only thing comparable to Biden’s inauguration is that of Abraham Lincoln in 1861, shortly before the Civil War broke out, says Heather Cox Richardson, a professor of history at Boston College. «He rode to the inauguration surrounded by soldiers and cavalry, soldiers were stationed around the streets, and sharpshooters were on the roofs, says Richardson, who writes a popular blog that puts American history in context.

«But Americans had never experienced an assassination before, and we did not yet have a Secret Service, so there was no real concept of keeping the public at a distance, Richardson tells NPR. «I guess the bottom line is that we are in uncharted waters.

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National Guard troops will join the thousands of D.C. police and federal agents already in place, with security efforts of their own.

D.C. officials have warned would-be visitors to stay away, and to enjoy the inauguration virtually from their homes. It would be difficult for many to get into the city anyway, as four major bridges from Virginia will be closed from the day before until the day after the inauguration.

It will also be harder for known extremists to get to Washington by plane. The Transportation Security Administration says it’s vetting hundreds of names passed along by law enforcement agencies. And it’s beefed up security at all three D.C.-area airports, adding more bomb-sniffing dogs, more random gate screenings, and more Federal Air Marshals.

«Our intelligence and vetting professionals are working diligently around the clock to ensure those who may pose a threat to our aviation sector undergo enhanced screening or are prevented from boarding an aircraft, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement Friday.

“I’m sorry I have to ask you to leave your families & head down to our nation’s capital because our country is so broken right now that we have to defend the Constitution.”@AdjutantGenMA helped send off @MANationalGuard members this morning. Full story tonight on @boston25 pic.twitter.com/irtWv3Igec

— Julianne Lima (@JulianneLimaTV) January 16, 2021

Despite the heightened danger, Biden will deliver his inaugural address just outside the Capitol, a tradition dating back nearly 200 years.

«We do think it’s important to honor some of those grand traditions of the inaugural — most notably, that swearing in on the west front of the Capitol, Tony Allen, head of the Biden-Harris Presidential Inaugural Committee, told NPR’s Weekend Edition. That committee is working closely with the Secret Service to ensure a safe inauguration.

«I feel very strongly that this will be a very secure and safe event, Allen said. «We have taken every precaution.

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Many of the activities leading up to the inaugural events are virtual, but that is in large part due to the coronavirus that has killed nearly 400,000 Americans and completely reshaped life in the U.S. and the world. Other than heightened security, the events surrounding the inauguration are mostly unchanged.

«There hasn’t been that much change because when we were planning the inauguration, we were planning it in a world of a pandemic, Stephanie Cutter, who is helping produce the inauguration, told All Things Considered.

«So there were no events with large crowds, Cutter said. «There was a scaled-down version of the swearing in on the west front of the Capitol. And some of our events that are taking place have a very light footprint.

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The U.S. Capitol is seen behind a fence with razor wire during sunrise Saturday. The FBI has warned of additional threats in the nation’s capital and in all 50 states.

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The U.S. Capitol is seen behind a fence with razor wire during sunrise Saturday. The FBI has warned of additional threats in the nation’s capital and in all 50 states.

Samuel Corum/Getty Images

The Biden inauguration team has scheduled four days of events leading up to the day itself. Those include a virtual concert, a National Day of Service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and a nationwide memorial to honor lives lost to COVID-19.

After his inaugural address, Biden will receive a presidential escort to the White House. Online chatter over the past weeks had included statements from supporters urging pro-Trump extremists to meet in D.C. and try to prevent Biden from entering the White House, but given the ubiquitous presence of troops and other security forces, such a move would prove challenging if not impossible.

And Facebook has temporarily blocked people from creating any new Facebook events near the White House or Capitol through Inauguration Day.