US braces for ‘coast to coast violence’ as Biden sworn in
AMERICA was braced for ‘ coast- to- coast violence’ last night with just three days to go until Joe Biden is sworn in as the country’s 46th president.
Far-Right supporters of President Trump have threatened armed protests at all 50 US state capitol buildings from as early as today, with one militia member telling broadcaster CNN: ‘Expect a second civil war. This is not going to end peacefully. We’re mad as hell and we’re bringing our guns.’
The storming of the Capitol building in Washington DC on January 6 by Trumpsupporting rioters left five dead, including a police officer, and has led to more than 200 arrests. The FBI has warned that further acts of domestic terrorism are ‘imminent’.
Washington last night resembled a war zone with 25,000 armed National Guardsmen on the streets, bridges into the city closed and areas around the White House, National Mall and Capitol sealed off with 12ft high ‘climbproof’ fences topped with razor-wire.
Authorities say just 200 people will be all owed t o protest peacefully against Mr Biden’s inauguration in an area more than a mile from the Capitol steps where he will be sworn in at noon on Wednesday.
A White House source said: ‘This is like a wartime ceremony. Normally you would have 2,500 official guests and tens of thousands of people flocking to the National Mall. Not this time. There’s a no-fly zone over the entire area and only a handful of invited guests will be allowed to attend in person. They will include members of Mr Biden’s immediate family, senators and representatives from the military and law enforcement.’
The FBI has intercepted ‘thousands’ of messages on social media from far-Right militia threatening to descend on Washington to disrupt the peaceful transition of power. ‘ Those threats are being treated as credible. But the big fear is violence erupting in cities with fewer law enforcement resources than DC,’ an FBI source said.
Inauguration traditions have been ditched. Instead of the customary coffee and cake in the Oval Office between the outgoing and incoming presidents, Mr Trump will leave the White House on Wednesday morning. He has refused to acknowledge Mr Biden’s election win and last week he became the first US president in history to be impeached twice.
According to a new poll, Mr Trump’s popularity has plunged to a record low of 29 per cent. He is planning a ‘farewell ceremony’ at Joint Base Andrews, a military facility in Maryland, including a 21-gun salute, before he leaves for Mar-a-Lago, his home in Florida.
Mr Trump has started fundraising for a 2024 election bid. But if he is found guilty in a Senate impeachment trial, which could start the day after the inauguration, he will be prevented from ever holding public office again.
Meanwhile he is soon expected to face legal threats. The Manhattan District Attorney is investigating alleged tax, bank and insurance fraud.
According to reports, police said they had arrested a man as he attempted to pass through a checkpoint in Washington with a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition.