Biden prepares to take oath in fortified capital
WASHINGTON — The 7-foothigh non-scalable fence surrounded the U.S. Capitol grounds. The National Mall — “America’s Front Yard” — was closed to the public, with some 25,000 National Guard troops milling about. Vehicles passed through security checkpoints manned by armed guards and buttressed by military tanks. Commuter trains, bus lines and even the city’s bike-share program were curtailed.
At noon on Wednesday, Joe Biden will take the oath of office and deliver his Inaugural Address as the 46th president of the United States. Tuesday’s view from Washington suggested Mr. Biden’s inauguration — usually a national event celebrating the peaceful transfer of power — will reflect the grim reality of America his administration will face: a socially distanced, economically depressed country contending with a global pandemic and still grappling with the aftermath of a violent breach of the legislative chambers.
Mr. Biden, the 78-year-old former vice president who campaigned to “restore the soul of the nation,” will arrive at the White House tasked with navigating the country through some of the biggest public health and economic challenges in American history.
The president-elect has pledged a more aggressive federal response to slow the spread of COVID-19 and deliver vaccines at a more rapid pace than under President Donald Trump’s administration. Last week, Mr. Biden, a Democrat, proposed a $1.9 trillion economic aid package that includes direct payments, unemployment compensation, aid for state and local governments, health funding and more.
But Mr. Biden’s sweeping government reforms will face obstacles, even after Democrats won control of Congress this month. Democrats hold a narrow majority in the House and control an evenly divided U.S. Senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris, acting in her role as Senate president, casting the tie-breaking vote.
In addition to practical hurdles of whipping up votes, there are profound questions of whether Mr. Biden can truly unite the country — not only to stamp out the virus that has killed 400,000 Americans but also to pursue transformative policies like an infrastructure and jobs program, a plan to combat climate change and immigration reform.
Mr. Biden promised a new chapter of American progress made possible by a return to normalcy and stability after Mr. Trump’s chaotic administration. Mr. Trump’s norm-defying stint in the White House was defined by early morning Twitter rants against political enemies, a revolving door of top officials, unpredictable decrees and a troubled relationship with allied countries.
Mr. Trump is scheduled to depart the Washington area Wednesday morning and become the first outgoing president since Andrew Johnson in 1869 to skip his successor’s inauguration.
Mr. Trump, however, will figure prominently in the early days of the Biden presidency, calling into question whether Mr. Biden can turn the page.
Mr. Trump faces a second Senate impeachment trial, this time for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that resulted in five deaths and injuries to more than 50 police officers.
The attack, carried out by Mr. Trump’s supporters who had gathered in Washington to protest the election results, disrupted the joint session of Congress that had gathered to certify Mr. Biden’s win. Mr. Trump rallied them shortly before the attack but has denied any responsibility for their actions. House Democrats, joined by 10 House Republicans, voted to impeach Mr. Trump last week for inciting an insurrection.
In Washington, the attack upended the presidential transition and overshadowed planning for Inauguration Day.
Every four years in January, the nation’s capital swells with visitors to witness a display of American democracy.
This year, Washington is a fortified city on edge.
On Tuesday, tour buses full of National Guard troops continued to roll in around the U.S. Capitol Complex. Soldiers stood guard along the barbed-wire fence lining the outer perimeter of the complex and patrolled the congressional office buildings. They fanned out in the city, establishing command posts in places like Meridian Hill Park, a green space 2 miles north of the White House, where they watched over traffic flowing on 16th Street NW.
Mobile push notifications alerted D.C. residents of new bridge and road closures; the declaration of national defense airspace; and the closure of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the civil rights icon’s federal holiday on Monday. The Pentagon
converted one of its expansive parking lots into a COVID-19 test site for diplomats, military and Capitol staff attending the inauguration.
The threat of more violence was in the air. Digital bus-stop screens displayed FBI notices seeking information on people who took part in the Capitol riot, flashing dozens of grainy images taken from security cameras. A fire at a homeless encampment blocks from the Capitol prompted a brief lockdown of the complex.
Security officials have likened the lockdowns to the Green Zone, the secured region of Baghdad after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. And
there are more U.S. troops assembled in Washington than any time since the Civil War.
Despite the anxiety and divides, American public opinion tends to sway toward a desire to move on.
Mr. Trump prepares to depart the White House with a 29% approval rating, according to a Pew Research Center study released last Friday, the lowest mark during his time in office as measured by the Washington-based research organization.
About 62% of Americans in that survey graded Mr. Trump’s postelection conduct as “poor,” while 64% rated Mr. Biden’s conduct since November as “excellent” or “good.”
An NPR/Marist poll released Tuesday found most Americans, by a 55%-to-39% margin, believe Mr. Biden will do more to unite the country as president, rather than divide.
But the poll also underscored the size of the foundational divisions: It showed that 31% of American adults — and 70% of Republicans — believe Mr. Biden was “not legitimately elected.”
Like past presidents, Mr. Biden is expected to ask for support from all Americans.
In place of a physical audience, the National Mall has been blanketed with 200,000 tiny American and state flags, as well as 56 lights to represent all the states and territories.
As the sun set Tuesday, Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris spoke briefly at the Lincoln Memorial in remembrance of the lives lost to COVID-19. Church bells at the Washington National Cathedral chimed 400 times for the 400,000 dead, and 400 luminarias were lit along the Reflecting Pool.
“It’s hard sometimes, to remember, but that’s how we heal,” Mr. Biden said. “It’s important to do that as a nation. That’s why we’re here today. Between sundown and dusk, let us shine the lights in the darkness.”