D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday that the city should expect a "new normal" for security — even after President-elect Biden's inauguration.
The state of play: Inaugurations are usually a point of celebration in D.C., but over 20,000 troops are now patrolling Washington streets in an unprecedented preparation for Biden's swearing-in on Jan. 20.
- Fencing surrounds the U.S. Capitol, armored vehicles are deployed and swaths of public transport have been shut down.
Why it matters: New details show that rioters were just minutes away from reaching lawmakers. Posts on right-wing social media show that Vice President Pence was a primary target of the attack.
- The Washington Post reports that Pence's evacuation route put him mere seconds away from being within eyesight of the mob.
- A Capitol Police officer potentially saved the vice president from harm by luring protesters in the wrong direction.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosiargued on Friday that "we've really lost our innocence in this."
- She suggests there may be a need to prosecute members of Congress who aided rioters in the raid — showcasing an extraordinary degree of distrust within America's legislative branch.
The bottom line: Biden says he's "not afraid" to take his oath of office outside — but there are obvious concerns for his safety next week.