U.S. President Joe Biden stands next to the presidential limousine before departing for Arlington National Cemetery following his inauguration in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2021.
After Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States outside the Capitol on Wednesday (Jan. 20), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which are responsible for leading the execution of highly militarized activities in Washington, D.C., on Inauguration Day, did not immediately announce to the public how long the military operations will last in the city center.
Fox News reports that more than 25,000 National Guard members from all 50 states, three territories and Washington, D.C., supported federal and local authorities at the 46th president’s inauguration on Wednesday, according to newly released data from the National Guard Bureau.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security is working with all 200 partners, including the National Guard, as well as at least 14,000 law enforcement officers and 5,000 Defense Department employees.
Hours before Biden and his deputy, Kamala Harris, were officially sworn in, the National Guard provided security and traffic control in and around the Capitol, National Mall and surrounding areas.
The Secret Service said its staff was doing “everything possible” to ensure the safety of people as guests, including members of Congress, former President Barack Obama, Clinton, George W. Bush Jr. and their wives, began to arrive at the ceremony.
Under heightened security, there were no major protest rallies in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, and the National Mall remained in lockdown. Before the inauguration, the Park Service canceled two planned protests in the secure area.
On the day of the inauguration, the Secret Service designated Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area as a no-fly zone and deployed anti-drone systems to guard against incoming Drones. In addition, bicycles, toy guns, aerosols, animals (except service and guide animals), and backpacks over a certain size were added to the list of prohibited items.
Before the ceremony ended, Biden, who was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, cut short his speech at the event because of the outbreak. He was accompanied by his wife, Jill Biden, who went indoors to accept gifts from congressional leaders. Afterward, Biden and Heather stood outside on the steps to formally review the troops that passed them by.
In his first tweet since taking office, Biden wrote, “There is no Time to waste when it comes to addressing the crisis we face, which is why today, I’m heading to the Oval Office to get to work immediately on delivering bold action and immediate relief for American families.”
Biden then traveled to Arlington National Cemetery for another ceremony.
Biden and the First Lady eventually arrived at the White House accompanied by a presidential escort of representatives from all branches of the military, rather than the traditional inaugural parade. A small military parade will still be held in Washington, D.C., but Biden will not be there in person, Fox reported.
The presidential inauguration was designated a National Special Security Event (NSSE) on Jan. 13, after the Department of Homeland Security received several requests, including from Congress and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, to extend the NSSE until Jan. 20. The measure was initiated in light of the Jan. 6 congressional break-in.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Peter Gaynor said designating the time period “allows the full resources of the federal government to be devoted to developing event security and incident management plans to ensure the safety of all participants.” His statement did not specify how long the military status would last after Jan. 20.
In a statement Wednesday, Gaynor said, “As acting secretary of Homeland Security, it is my honor to lead the men and women who defend our nation. I and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David Pekoske are committed to ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security’s focus remains on securing the homeland while overseeing an orderly transition to a new administration.”
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