President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris will take office on Wednesday at an extremely small inaugural event amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and heightened security concerns.
The inaugural committee is “strongly encouraging” people not to attend the event in person – and instead tune in to the virtual live broadcast.
Exhibition booths will not be available, and dinners and dances have also been canceled.
Official tickets for inauguration events are normally distributed to Congress offices, free of charge.
During a normal year, members generally receive about 200,000 to distribute to constituents, as reported by USA Today. The publication said that this year members are limited to tickets for themselves and a guest, meaning that no tickets will be available for constituents.
Overall, The Washington Post estimated that about 2,000 people will attend the event, including 200 “VIPs” – or families of the president-elect and vice-president-elect, Congressional leadership and several diplomats.
USA Today also estimated participation at several thousand.
For comparison, more than 500,000 people were expected to attend President Barack Obama’s event in 2009.
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Although President Trump is not among those present, many other prominent leaders will be present, including former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as his wives – and former first ladies – Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.
Meanwhile, some 25,000 members of the National Guard are flowing to Washington from across the country – at least two and a half times the number of previous inaugurations.
Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga are expected to perform.
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The 25,000 National Guard soldiers entering Washington are undergoing an FBI verification process, while officials are concerned about a potential internal attack on possession after the Capitol siege earlier this month.
The Secret Service is responsible for the security of the event, but there are a wide variety of military and police officers involved, from the National Guard and the FBI to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, the US Capitol Police and the US Park Police.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.