WASHINGTON – POLITICS – There are 25,000 National Guard soldiers in Washington D.C. protecting the U.S. Capital in preparation for the Inauguration of President Elect Joe Biden.
• FBI vetting National Guard troops in DC amid fears of insider attack.
• Biden will appeal to national unity in inaugural address.
With possible threats to safety and security following the January 6th riot at the capital, the FBI is now doing a security vetting of those National Guard members. This is partly a result of the FBI finding out how many of the rioters on January 6th were former members of the United States military.
New Yorker Video Inside the Capital Riot
Five people including a Capital Police officer died in the attack on the capital, as people were caught on camera ransacking offices, and some were reportedly seeking to kidnap lawmakers and kill them.
The FBI has over 150,000 tips from the public. There have been 116 arrests so far, and there are at least 300 open investigations.
Chants of “Hang Pence” echoed through the U.S. Capital during the riot.
President Trump was impeached in the House of Representatives for inciting the riot.
This could also potentially lead to criminal charges for Trump once he leaves power.
Ten House Republicans by voting for the impeachment of the President made this the most bipartisan ever.
The next step will see President Trump will face another Senate trial, his second impeachment. A conviction in the Senate could bar Donald J. Trump from running for elected office again.
President Trump is likely to issue a number of Presidential Pardons before leaving office.
There is speculation that the President could issue pardons for himself and members of his family. Likely that move could set off a constitutional debate – no President has ever pardoned themselves.
President Gerald R. Ford, when he became President following the resignation of President Richard Nixon pardoned the former President. It was one of the factors cited in why Ford was not elected in the next U.S. election, when people choose Jimmy Carter as President.
President Trump to Leave Washington for Inauguration Day
While President Trump has said he will not be attending the Inauguration of President Joe Biden. This is not the first time this has happened.
Most outgoing presidents have appeared on the inaugural platform with their successor, however in history, five did not: John Adams left Washington rather than attend the 1801 inauguration of Thomas Jefferson; John Quincy Adams also left town, unwilling to be present for the 1829 inauguration of Andrew Jackson; Martin Van Buren was, for reasons unknown, not present for the 1841 inauguration of William Henry Harrison; Andrew Johnson conducted a final cabinet meeting rather than attend the 1869 inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant, and Woodrow Wilson, who due to poor health, remained inside the Capitol Building during the 1921 inauguration of Warren G. Harding.
Traditionally, the President-Elect arrives at the White House and then proceeds to the Capitol Building with the out-going president. Around or after 12 noon, the president takes the oath of office, usually administered by the chief justice of the United States, and then delivers the inaugural address.
Media Reporting Helping or Hurting Healing
On U.S. cable television news channels there has been a steady stream of commentary on the Capital Hill Riot.
Late Night Talk Show hosts have been solidly calling for Trump to pay a price for the riot in Washington.
Stephen Colbert on The Late Show
Jimmy Kimmel
Solving the divide and the partisan distances between the Democrats and the Republicans is going to take a lot of effort.
James Murray
