Trump inauguration puts security officials on high alert in Washington
3 Min Read
The potential threats outlined in a security assessment ahead of the inauguration highlight the heightened political and potentially violent climate in which Trump will assume office.
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US President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago, on January 9, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP)
Washington is preparing for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next week, with 30 miles (48 km) of tall black temporary fencing, 25,000 law enforcement officers, and security checkpoints designed to manage the flow of hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The swearing-in ceremony on Monday, held on the steps of the US Capitol, followed by a parade to the White House, will take place after a weekend filled with protests from Trump's opponents, as well as parties and rallies from his supporters.
The inauguration falls after a campaign marked by two assassination attempts on Trump, including one where a would-be assassin grazed his ear with a bullet, as well as two New Year's Day attacks targeting ordinary Americans.
In one incident, 14 people were killed and dozens more injured when a US Army veteran drove a truck into a crowd of New Year's Eve revelers in New Orleans. On the same day, an active-duty US Army soldier detonated a Tesla Cybertruck outside a Trump-branded hotel in Las Vegas, resulting in his death.
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US Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool at a Monday press briefing said, "We are in a higher-threat environment."
According to reports, the inauguration itself, where Trump will formally take the oath of office in the presence of members of Congress, the Supreme Court, his incoming administration, and tens of thousands of others, will be held on the Capitol steps, facing the Washington Monument.
That is the same location where, on January 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters smashed windows, clashed with police, and forced lawmakers to flee in an attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Democratic President Joe Biden.
Fears of a 'lone wolf'
Security officials said they were unaware of any coordinated threats to the inauguration but were concerned about lone wolves, like the New Orleans attacker, and two recent incidents: one where a man was arrested for attempting to bring a machete into the Capitol, and another for trying to start a fire near it, according to US Capitol Police.
US Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger stated during the security briefing, "That threat of the lone actor remains the biggest justification for us being at this heightened state of alert throughout the next week."
On Monday, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned police across the country about the potential risk of copycat attacks similar to the New Orleans incident.
Reports indicate that a large section of downtown Washington, stretching about 2 miles (3 km) from the White House to the Capitol, will be closed to vehicular traffic, with entry points blocked by concrete barriers, garbage trucks, and other heavy objects.
Officials said the 30 miles of 7-foot-tall (2-meter-tall) black fencing, designed to be unclimbable, will be the longest ever erected in Washington. Additionally, around 7,800 National Guard troops and 4,000 officers from other police departments across the country will bolster security.
