January 20th, Joe Biden will officially begin his term as the 46th president of the United States.
This will be a swearing-in ceremony like no other, as the organisers will have to manage a double threat: the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has so far killed more than 300,000 people in the US, and the prospect of Trump supporters attempting to violently disrupt the proceedings. At the time of writing, the outgoing president has still refused to concede that he lost the election and continues to falsely claim the election was “stolen” from him, though he did release a video in which he delivered a half-hearted repudiation of violence. Authorities are keen not to see a repeat of the events of January 6th, when a Maga mob, incited by Trump, stormed the Capitol building, resulting in five deaths, so they’ve beefed up security in the capital for the occasion.
The FBI has warned that Trump supporters are planning armed protests in Washington and in 50 state capitals, so nerves will be on edge – and viewers will be on the edge of their seats – as Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris take to the podium in front of the US Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. Airbnb is blocking all bookings for the city during inauguration week, and more than 10,000 National Guard troops will be on duty, with 5,000 more on call if needed. Hopefully, they won’t be required. This is one TV event we would be happy to see go off uneventfully.
a place to discuss events of this week as they unfold!
This will be a swearing-in ceremony like no other, as the organisers will have to manage a double threat: the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has so far killed more than 300,000 people in the US, and the prospect of Trump supporters attempting to violently disrupt the proceedings. At the time of writing, the outgoing president has still refused to concede that he lost the election and continues to falsely claim the election was “stolen” from him, though he did release a video in which he delivered a half-hearted repudiation of violence. Authorities are keen not to see a repeat of the events of January 6th, when a Maga mob, incited by Trump, stormed the Capitol building, resulting in five deaths, so they’ve beefed up security in the capital for the occasion.
The FBI has warned that Trump supporters are planning armed protests in Washington and in 50 state capitals, so nerves will be on edge – and viewers will be on the edge of their seats – as Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris take to the podium in front of the US Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. Airbnb is blocking all bookings for the city during inauguration week, and more than 10,000 National Guard troops will be on duty, with 5,000 more on call if needed. Hopefully, they won’t be required. This is one TV event we would be happy to see go off uneventfully.
a place to discuss events of this week as they unfold!
especially given how many comments I’ve seen saying it won’t happen etc. Just hope it goes smoothly.
