On Jan. 20, the United States will hold its 59th presidential inauguration. Though it could be one of the most anticipated inaugurations in history, it will likely be far from the most well-attended.
With COVID-19 restrictions and mounting threats of violence following the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, the inauguration committee and local officials are prohibiting people from entering or being near the Capitol building and restricting foot traffic on the National Mall to security personnel and members of the media.
Instead of the usual throngs of people, presidential parade, and presidential balls, the only attendees to the inauguration will be the newly sworn-in members of the 117th Congress with one guest each — showing a striking similarity to a State of the Union address. This will be a historic inauguration as Joe Biden will be the oldest person ever in the office of president at 78, and Kamala Harris will be the first woman inaugurated vice president as well as the first black and first Asian American to take the office. These groundbreaking stories of the day will likely be overshadowed, though, by President Trump’s resistance to accepting the election results, his refusal to attend the ceremony, and the fear that chaos could ensue.
Trump has made it clear that he will not be attending the inauguration as he does not see the election as legitimate, even after the certification by Congress and approval by Vice President Mike Pence. This is the first time since Andrew Johnson in 1869 that the out-going president refused to attend the inauguration ceremony and just the fourth time in America’s history. Though Trump will not attend, Pence has indicated that he will attend to symbolize the peaceful transition of power. But even without Trump himself there, Washington, D.C., has started bracing for his supporters to make an appearance.
Since the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, the city has begun to tighten its restrictions. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser even went so far as to encourage people to avoid the district on Jan. 20. In addition to the Capitol Police and Secret Service, 15,000 national guard troops have been brought in to protect everyone in and around the Capitol building. This rapid escalation is directly related to the events of Jan. 6, fears of Trump continuing to stoke the flames of his most fervent supports, and intelligence gathered by the FBI.
As far as Inauguration Days go, this will certainly be one for the history books. Let’s just hope that it’s because this is one is unusually quiet and controlled.
