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With almost half a century in Washington behind him, Joe Biden has waited a long time for this moment. But when he puts his hand on the Bible, repeats an oath of 35 words and takes the oath as the 46th president of the United States at noon on Wednesday, the background will be nothing like he had imagined.
Biden’s inauguration on the steps of the United States Capitol will be among the strangest in American history because of the double blow of a coronavirus pandemic that swept the nation and increased security after the deadly violence of the crowd at the Capitol itself.
In this frightening situation, he will try to find the words to start healing a bitterly polarized nation. But quite possibly nothing Biden says will be as important as the symbolism of Vice President Mike Pence and ex-presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama gathered to witness a peaceful transfer of power.
Many expect the bipartisan framework to announce a return to political norms and a page turn after four years of turmoil under Trump, who announced that he will be the first president in 150 years to boycott his successor’s ceremonial surrender.
“The most important person there will be Vice President Pence,” said Elaine Kamarck, a senior research fellow at the Brookings thinktank in Washington. “Between Pence and Bush, this is a powerful message to at least part of the public that not the entire Republican party is the Trump party.”
The pandemic had already ensured that this would be a reduced opening, with organizers urging the public to stay away and watch on TV, a far cry from Obama’s first star-studded opening, when more than a million people filled the national mall. About 2,000 people are expected to show up wearing masks and distance themselves physically.
Then came the pro-Trump uprising last week, in which protesters stormed the western front of the Capitol, even climbing the scaffolding and bleachers built for the inauguration. Fear of another attack means that Biden will now become the most powerful man in the world in surroundings that look more like Baghdad’s green zone than an open city of avenues and monuments.
The Secret Service is leading what we call a “zero-failure mission”. Barricades, checkpoints, and a 7-foot (two-meter) high were erected around the Capitol with National Guard troops stationed at the perimeter. About 20,000 of these troops will be deployed and half of them will be in the city on Saturday if protests occur this weekend.
Streets near the Capitol were closed, the National Park Service closed the Washington Monument for tours, and home-sharing company Airbnb said it was canceling all reservations in the Washington area to discourage protesters from staying in the city.
On Wednesday, while being accused of inciting a mob attack, Trump launched a video message asking for calm. “I unequivocally condemn the violence we saw last week,” he said. “Violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country and nowhere in our movement. There should be no violence, violation of the law and vandalism of any kind. “
But ominous messages have appeared in forums and far-right chat rooms about possible problems. The Patriot Action for America website, which was recently taken down, called on its supporters to surround the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court a few days earlier “to, at all costs, prevent Joseph Biden, or any other Democrat from taking office. ”.
The capital is on the edge. Larry Sabato, The director of the Policy Center at the University of Virginia, who has attended all the inaugurations since 1976, said: “We have had some strangers for a few hundred years, but nothing like that and what is really sad is that people are nervous.
“I would say that a good number of people are waiting to move it inside. You can’t put anything beyond these people and they’ve clearly been talking about murder – there’s no other way to say it. These people are crazy and were legitimized by Trump. “
Biden, who at 78 will be the oldest person ever sworn in as president of the United States, said last Monday: “I’m not afraid to take the oath out there.” But security precautions forced him to cancel plans to take a 90-minute train ride from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, to Washington, emulating his daily commute during his 36 years as a senator.
Moe Vela, a former senior Biden adviser when he was vice president, admitted: “It breaks my heart because there are very few civil servants in this country who deserved more traditional ownership than Joe Biden and, unfortunately, it won’t.”
The opening theme will be “America United”, a stark contrast to Trump’s dark and divisive event four years ago. Biden, his vice president, Kamala Harris, and his wives will place a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. They will be accompanied by Clinton, Bush and Obama and their wives in a deliberate demonstration of consensus.
The organizing committee also announced plans for a major public art exhibition spanning several blocks from the National Mall, which will feature 191,500 US flags and 56 pillars of light to represent all states and territories and “the American people who cannot travel” to the Capitol.
Traditions like the inaugural parade and inaugural balls will switch to the virtual format and actor Tom Hanks will present a 90-minute primetime TV special entitled Celebrating America and featuring various celebrities.
Lara Brown, director of the graduate school in political management at George Washington University in Washington, told a Foreign Press Center briefing: “I wouldn’t be surprised if they actually set up, say, in the East Room of the White House, a space where you can see President Biden and the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, dancing in the ballroom. In other words, they would film it as a virtual event. “
But the relative lack of pomp, ostentation and other distractions means that even more than usual will be at stake in the inaugural speech. Former presidents like Abraham Lincoln (“healing the nation’s wounds”), Franklin Roosevelt (“the only thing we should fear is fear itself”) and John F. Kennedy (“don’t ask what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country ”) showed up to the occasion.
David Litt, Obama’s former speechwriter, said: “If you think about the number of crises that Joe Biden is taking over, it’s impressive. I have no idea if we are going to look back as a matter of rhetoric and say it was comparable to Lincoln’s second inauguration or FDR’s first inauguration, because those are very high barriers, but it’s hard to imagine a president taking office at a higher time . is betting on America. “
Biden’s speeches last year at the Democratic National Convention and after his victory in the elections were well received. It is likely that he will again emphasize the themes of America’s soul redemption, rebuilding trust in institutions and governing for all citizens, not just those who voted for him.
Aaron Kall, debate director at the University of Michigan and editor of I Do Solemnly I swear: Presidential inaugural speeches for the past fifty years, said: “He has his own speechwriter and will probably have help from people in his administration, maybe even people out like [historian] Jon Meacham and others who are really good speakers.
“They probably went back to the drawing board. Usually, these sketches are done around the holidays before Christmas, but, considering everything in the last two weeks, it’s almost like starting over. “
But Kamarck, who as a Clinton administration official took the podium in his second inauguration in 1997, will not award notes for poetry, zingers or high rhetoric in this oath like no other.
“With the country at a breaking point on several levels, we just need competence,” she said. “I don’t care if he’s inspiring or not and I don’t think anyone else does. After Trump’s last four years of total bullshit, just straightforward pragmatism is exactly what the moment calls for and I think that’s what he will do. And frankly, that will be inspiring. “