In America, politics have been more polarized than ever. After the catastrophic storming of the Capitol on January 6th, America is anxious about what will occur during the Inauguration of Joe Biden on Wednesday, January 20th in the United States Capitol. There are many precautions the US government, the FBI, and other officials are taking to ensure the safety of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, as multiple people and groups are making threats against them.

Angered by the election results, there is a large number of people making threats against the incoming president and the government. On January 9-11th, Kenneth Kraig Thomas, a resident of Goochland County in Central Virginia, decided to put up signs at his house saying “KILL BIDEN”, “MAKE BIDEN PAY!!”, and multiple more signs against Biden, democrats, and the FBI. After multiple complaints, the deputy went to his house to find him waving his signs; now, the FBI and Secret Service are involved, and “Thomas is charged with threatening a person in writing” (cbsnews.com). On January 15th, Wesley Allen Beeler, a man from Virginia, attempted to go through a police checkpoint in Washington DC with an unauthorized inauguration credential. Capitol Police found that he had a Glock with 17 rounds of ammunition and a rifle with 509 rounds of ammunition, and Beeler was arrested “for possession of an unregistered firearm and possession of unregistered ammunition” (cnn.com). Additionally, the FBI has identified a group of armed individuals intending to “travel to Washington D.C., on 16 January, and that group claimed that “if Congress attempts to remove POTUS via the 25th Amendment, a huge uprising will occur.” Also, another group is planning to storm the state and federal building if Trump gets removed before the inauguration. The FBI also believes that states should be prepared for riots that may take place on Wednesday. (voanews.com).

Along with domestic threats, the FBI, Capitol Police, and other intelligence centers are concerned with foreign threats and influences on the American public. Because of the security failures during the attack on the Capitol on January 6th, officials are claiming that Russia, Iran, and China are trying to “amplify” their political interests “amid the presidential transition.” Also, foreign terrorist groups, such as ISIS, are radicalizing Americans with “racist, anti-government or anarchist ideologies” creating a “likely threat” to the Inauguration (abcnews.com).

Due to security threats, the rehearsal for the Inauguration that was supposed to occur on Sunday, January 17th was postponed, and although the new rehearsal is set for Monday, January 18th, Biden’s team canceled an Amtrak train trip on Monday from Wilmington to Washington D.C. Lisa Monaco, a former Homeland Security advisor during the Obama administration, was added to Biden’s team to serve temporarily as an advisor on security leading up to and during the Inauguration. According to a spokesperson on Biden’s team, “Ms. Monaco will assist the President-elect and work with the incoming national security advisor, the incoming homeland security advisor, and current security and law enforcement officials, including with the United States Secret Service on their plans for the inauguration” (politico.com).

To ensure the safety of everyone that will be at the Inauguration, the National Guard is heading to D.C., and  25,000 troops will be placed at the Capitol on the day of the Inauguration from multiple states. These troops will accompany the thousands of D.C. police and agents who are already there. There have never been this many troops at the Capitol at once, and in the past, the most to occupy the capitol at one time was 13,000 guard troops after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Officials in D.C. are telling citizens to view the event from their house and stay away from the Capitol, and they are making it difficult for people to come to the event by closing four major bridges in Virginia that lead to the Capitol. In addition, the Transportation Security Administration is adding more security to the airports by using extra bomb-sniffing dogs, gate screenings, and federal air marshals, and on Friday, January 15th, letters from government officials were sent out to hotels and car rentals “to implement screening measures” (npr.org).

At Yorba Linda High School, many students are anxious to see what happens on Wednesday during the Inauguration, especially after seeing what took place at the Capitol on January 6th. Amber Han (11) is concerned about “the safety of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and everyone else that will be at the event.” As Wednesday approaches, all we can do as students is hope that the Inauguration will go smoothly.