Washington, D.C., is fortified for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, with 30 miles of 7-foot-tall fencing, 25,000 law enforcement officers, and security checkpoints braced for hundreds of thousands of spectators. The Monday swearing-in at the Capitol will feature a parade to the White House, following a weekend of protests and rallies.
Heightened security follows recent violence, including two New Year’s Day attacks: one by a U.S. Army veteran who rammed a truck into New Orleans revelers, killing 14, and another by an active-duty soldier who detonated a Tesla Cybertruck outside a Las Vegas Trump hotel, killing himself. Officials are wary of lone-wolf threats, like last week’s arrests for a machete and attempted arson near the Capitol.
Downtown Washington, spanning two miles from the Capitol to the White House, will be closed to traffic with barriers and checkpoints. Over 7,800 National Guard troops and 4,000 officers from across the nation will reinforce security.
Hotel occupancy is at 70%, lower than Trump’s 2017 inauguration (95%) but higher than Obama’s second inauguration (78%).
Protests and rallies will mark the weekend, including the anti-Trump People’s March on Saturday with an expected 25,000 attendees. Trump supporters will rally at Capital One Arena on Sunday, with additional events permitted across the city.
Harvard professor and former Obama homeland security official Juliette Kayyem said the extensive planning reflects standard practice. “You plan for the worst but hope for better,” she noted.
Officials stress the elevated threat environment but report no coordinated plots. Washington remains on high alert to ensure safety during the transition of power.
