Washington
Over 25,000 National Guard troops will be occupying the streets of Washington DC. That is five times more than the number deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.
Acting US Secretary of Defence Christopher Miller said on Monday there were “25,000 Guardsmen” who would leave “no stone unturned in securing the capital”.
“There are more troops in DC now than there are in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Congressman Seth Moulton remarked on the development. According to the United States Department of Defence, there are currently 5,000 troops in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.
The troops in Washington are not there to take part in the inaugural parade but to ensure that the inauguration ceremony goes smoothly.
The ceremonial mood that accompanies an inauguration ended on January 6, when a mob charged by President Donald Trump’s fiery repudiation of Biden’s win, attacked the Capitol building. Five people died in the storming and subsequent intelligence reports suggest that Trump supporters may launch similar attacks during the inauguration.
Worse than the fear of another insurrection, however, is the despondency and gloom caused by the coronavirus pandemic which has already killed almost 400,000 people across the United States. The pandemic forced the Biden team to cancel most inaugural ceremonies, urging Americans to watch the inauguration on their televisions, computers and cellphones.
Trump plans to leave the White House on Wednesday morning but not for the inauguration stage outside the Congress building where the new president takes oath of office. He will be flying home to Florida.
The White House staff will only have five hours to prepare the official residence for Biden who would replace Trump as the 46th US president on Wednesday. Biden will enter his new official residence around midday when the oath-taking ends.
The housekeeping staff told various US media outlets that the moving trucks will be waiting outside the gates and the packing and unpacking will start as soon as Trump leaves.
So far, Trump has not given a farewell statement but the First Lady has.
“I ask every American to […] focus on what unites us. To rise above what divides us. To always choose love over hatred, peace over violence, and others before yourself,” she said in a video statement.—Agencies
