Multiple federal officials provided a security update on the Jan. 20 ceremony.
With just one week to go before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office in Washington, the FBI said there are no known threats to the Inauguration Day ceremony.
“We are not currently tracking any specific or credible threats to the inaugural ceremony or to the Capitol complex,” FBI special agent David Sundberg said in a Monday news conference alongside Washington officials. “We will continue to work closely with our partners to share information and identify and disrupt any threat that may emerge.”
The Secret Service’s special agent in charge, William McCool, said that about 25,000 law enforcement and military officials will be onsite to ensure the security of the event.
“We have a slightly more robust security plan. We’ve been planning for this event for 12 months,” he said. “All attendees will undergo screening. Designated checkpoints will be set up for members of the public interested in attending the inauguration.”
The ceremony is expected to draw about 250,000 ticketed guests, said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger, adding that there will also be demonstrators.
“The biggest threat, I think for all of us, remains the lone actor,” Manger said, referring to terrorism. “Just in the past week, while President [Jimmy] Carter was lying in state, we had two lone actors show up at the Capitol, one trying to bring in knives and a machete, and another one who I believe was trying to disrupt the proceedings by setting their car on fire.
“That threat of the lone actor remains the biggest justification for us maintaining this heightened state of alert throughout the next week.”
Country superstar Carrie Underwood, the performer for “Sunday Night Football’s” theme song, confirmed in a statement on Monday that she will perform “America the Beautiful” at Trump’s inauguration.
“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood said “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
