‘What’s actually going on here?’ Trump inauguration attendance restricted to select group

The January 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump is raising some eyebrows after it was reported that only a small number of people will be present for the swearing-in.

Following a tense presidential race that saw not one but two assassination attempts on the incoming president’s life, it may not be entirely out of left field to pursue ways to ensure his security during the transfer of power. Additionally, the event was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda due to weather, a move not seen since President Ronald Reagan began his second term.

According to Politico around 2,000 people will be in attendance including “lawmakers, other high-ranking officials and Trump’s family.” This means thousands of supporters, many of whom traveled a long way to attend the festivities, are being told their tickets will not be honored.

“The vast majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person,” explained a statement from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. “While we know this is difficult for many attendees, we strongly suggest people who are in Washington for the event attend other indoor events at indoor venues of their choice to watch the inauguration.”

Such an unprecedented move gave rise to speculation, with many wondering if the change in plans could be security-related:

However, FBI Director Christopher Wray insists that the agency is “not tracking any specific or credible threats to the inauguration.”

“What I would tell you, though, is that we’re dealing with a threat landscape where terrorists, whether they be foreign, jihadist-inspired or domestic terrorists or others, can move from radicalization to action quite quickly, often with very crude but still lethal attacks,” he said in an interview with CBS News. “What I would tell you is that I have enormous confidence in the FBI’s men and women in our role as supporting the other agencies, which have the primary responsibility for securing the inauguration,”

Sierra Marlee

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