An upcoming investiture under high tension.
As outgoing US President Donald Trump approved the declaration of a state of emergency until January 24 in Washington, US Acting Homeland Security Minister Chad Wolf announced Monday 11 January, his resignation, adding to concerns about the security of Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony on January 20 in Washington.
Chad Wolf leaves his post five days after the violent intrusion of supporters of Donald Trump on Capitol Hill, which he described as "tragic" and "sickening", while around him local officials and law enforcement are busy preventing further violence.
According to US media, an internal US Federal Police (FBI) document warns that armed supporters of the Republican president could participate in protests in all 50 US states between this weekend and January 20.
National Guard and Army
Criticized for delaying the deployment of the National Guard during the January 6 violence in Washington, the Pentagon has authorized the deployment of up to 15,000 troops to the US capital for the swearing-in ceremony.
Some 6,200 soldiers of the National Guard are already there and they will be 10,000 from this weekend.
About 5,000 additional troops will join them on January 20.
The mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, for her part, announced that she had requested from the Department of Homeland Security the extension of the special security period related to the nomination.
She also said she asked for a state of emergency to be declared upstream in the federal capital in order to obtain additional funds for security, which Donald Trump ratified on Monday evening.
Joe Biden pleads for a message of unity
Faced with the risk of violence, but also that of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 375,000 in the United States, Muriel Bowser also urged Americans not to go to Washington for the delivery ceremony of oath - to which access is limited anyway this year - and to "participate in a virtual way" by following it online or on television.
Upon his inauguration, Joe Biden will seek to promote a message of unity and will work to lead by example by going immediately after the ceremony to Arlington National Cemetery with three of his predecessors: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
There he will lay a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and address a battered and divided America to appeal for unity.
The future Democratic president has a heavy responsibility to heal the wounds of America, victim of economic and health crises, divided by an election and strong racial tensions.
Outgoing President Donald Trump has made it known he will not attend the ceremony.
His absence on Jan. 20 "is a good thing," Biden said.
Former Democratic President Jimmy Carter will also be absent because of his great age, 96 years old.
With AFP and Reuters
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