Biden inauguration rehearsal postponed due to threats

The FBI's tracking an 'extensive amount of concerning online chatter' calling for violence in the nation's capital.

Jan 15, 2021

A rehearsal for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration has been postponed due to potential security threats.

The FBI has said it is tracking an “extensive amount of concerning online chatter” that calls for violence in Washington, D.C. and every U.S. state between Sunday, Jan. 17 through Inauguration Day, which is Wednesday, Jan. 20.

Concertina razor wire is shown along the top of the eight-foot “non-scalable” fence that surrounds the U.S. Capitol, where National Guard troops have been activated to protect against threats surrounding President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The rehearsal was scheduled for Sunday but has been rescheduled for Monday.

Scheduling changes come after the deadly insurrection that took place in the Capitol Building on last Wednesday. Five people died during the horrific event, including a Capitol police officer.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has authorized up to 21,000 National Guard troops in and around Washington, D.C. in the days up to and during the Biden inauguration. That total outnumbers all the U.S. troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

“As always, our first priority is to protect people and property — and the safety and wellbeing of our National Guard personnel and their families,” Army General Daniel Hokanson told Military Times. “I visit with these men and women every night, and they understand the importance of this mission. They are also proven, prepared and proud to do their part to ensure a peaceful and safe inauguration of our incoming commander-in-chief.”

All 50 states have been warned by the FBI of potential protests in the days leading up to and during Biden’s traditional White House installation ceremonies.

The president-elect planned to take Amtrak from Wilmington, Delaware to the nation’s capital on Monday. The trip would have been reminiscent of his years in the Senate, when he frequently took the train between D.C. and his home, where he cared for his then-young sons following the death of his first wife and their daughter.

The train trip has been canceled due to security concerns. How Biden will arrive in D.C. has not been disclosed.

The Secret Service and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies are in charge of the events.

According to Politico, Biden’s deputy attorney general nominee, Lisa Monaco, a former homeland security adviser, will “assist the President-elect,” a transition spokesperson said, “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.”

“Given the existing threats,” the spokesperson continued, “Ms. Monaco’s temporary role will be focused solely on the period leading up to the inauguration.”

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