Washington braces for Trump's inauguration amid tight security

Washington braces for Trump's inauguration amid tight security
2025-01-14 16:37

Shafaq News/ Washington is gearing up for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump next week, with extensive security measures in place.

A temporary black security fence, stretching 48 kilometers, will be erected, and 25,000 police officers will be deployed alongside numerous security checkpoints to manage the hundreds of thousands expected to attend the inauguration.

Trump will take the oath of office next Monday on the steps of the US Capitol, followed by a celebratory parade to the White House after a weekend of protests by his opponents and gatherings by his Republican supporters.

The election campaign saw two assassination attempts on Trump, one of which resulted in a bullet grazing his ear.

On New Year's Eve, Americans faced several attacks. Fourteen people were killed and dozens injured when a US Army veteran drove a truck into a crowd of revelers in New Orleans. On the same day, an active-duty soldier detonated a Tesla Cybertruck outside a Trump-branded hotel in Las Vegas, killing himself.

Matt McCool, a US Secret Service official, stated that "security threats are increasing," highlighting concerns about lone attackers.

The oath will be taken on the Capitol steps overlooking the Washington Monument, attended by members of Congress, the Supreme Court, the new administration, and tens of thousands of spectators.

This is the same location that witnessed the January 6, 2021, violence when Trump supporters vandalized windows and clashed with police, forcing Congress members to flee for their lives in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results won by Democratic President Joe Biden.

Regarding the recent election, Vice President Kamala Harris conceded her defeat in the November 5, 2024, election, while Trump continues to claim election fraud in the previous election, despite lacking evidence.

Security officials have stated that there are no confirmed coordinated threats for Inauguration Day, but they are concerned about lone attackers, similar to the New Orleans incident and two separate incidents last week.

Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger said in a security briefing, "The threat from lone attackers remains the primary reason for our heightened state of alert throughout the next week."

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have issued warnings to police across the United States about the risk of attacks similar to those in New Orleans.

A significant portion of downtown Washington, spanning three kilometers from the White House to the Capitol, will be closed to vehicular traffic, with concrete barriers, garbage trucks, and other heavy elements enforcing the security perimeter.

Officials noted that the black fence to be erected will be two meters high and 48 kilometers long, making it the longest fence ever built in Washington, designed to be unclimbable.

Security measures will be further enhanced by deploying approximately 7,800 National Guard soldiers and 4,000 police officers from various departments across the country.

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