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Security Concerns Mount For Three Major D.C. Events This Month

The deadly attack in New Orleans has put a fresh spotlight on security plans around an active month of events in the nation’s capital, culminating with President-elect Trump’s inauguration. Among high-profile events in the coming weeks: next Monday's certification of election results, former President Carter's state funeral next Thursday, and the Jan. 20 inauguration and surrounding activities, including a Trump rally, The Hill reports.

Law enforcement officials have signaled they have robust security plans in place for those events, but the New Orleans terrorism and the explosion outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas has put the public on high alert. Secret Service agent Matthew Young said, "Our mission is to provide a safe and secure environment for our protectees, and all individuals involved in these events." President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to New Orleans on Monday to "grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack."


All three upcoming events – the election certification, the Carter funeral and the inauguration – have been designated as national special security events by the Department of Homeland Security. That makes the Secret Service the lead agency for planning and implementing security efforts, and it frees up additional federal and local resources to ensure there is enough manpower and other safety measures in place. There is already fencing up around the Capitol in anticipation of the Jan. 6 certification. The increased security surrounding that event comes four years after rioters violently clashed with law enforcement and stormed the Capitol to try stopping the certification of President Biden’s victory after Trump had spent weeks claiming the results were fraudulent. Carter’s funeral is expected to bring mourners from around the country to Washington, D.C., with Biden, Trump and other former presidents attending a service at the National Cathedral on Jan. 9. Thousands will descend on Washington for the Jan. 20 swearing in ceremony and surrounding galas and celebrations to mark the start of Trump’s second term.

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A daily report co-sponsored by Arizona State University, Criminal Justice Journalists, and the National Criminal Justice Association

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