President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images
By Laura Olson and Ohio Capital Journal
Washington D.C. – As with so many other events during the year preceding it, the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden will be a ceremony unlike those of his predecessors.
Tempering the celebratory tone is a directive from Bidenās inaugural team for supporters to refrain from traveling to D.C. for the Jan. 20 swearing-in. Instead, theyāve urged Americans to participate in the inaugural activities from home.
Itās not yet clear what exactly those virtual festivities will include ā or if President Donald Trump will attend Bidenās swearing-in. But the event will be scaled down in size, with an emphasis on safety precautions.
āFirst and foremost, my objective is to keep America safe but still allow people to celebrate,ā Biden said at a news conference this month.
The crowd on the platform of the west front of the Capitol will be far less crowded than a typical inauguration. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies typically would be distributing 200,000 tickets, but instead will hand out enough for each of the 535 members of Congress to attend with only one guest each.
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who is chairman of the joint committee, said in a statement this month that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and rising case counts āwarranted a difficult decision to limit attendance.ā
Blunt added that the committee is āworking on enhanced opportunities to watch the ceremonies online, in addition to the traditional televised national broadcast.ā
āThe election of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris was historic and we know that many Americans would have wanted to attend the inauguration in-person,ā said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who also serves on the inaugural committee. āAt the same time, safety must be our top priority.ā
Bidenās inaugural committee has tapped medical experts to oversee safety precautions, including former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler as its chief medical adviser.
The details released so far have been vague beyond the limited number of tickets. A news release from Bidenās inaugural team described an āextremely limitedā footprint for the swearing-in ceremony, and a parade that will be āreimagined.ā
That revamped parade could look similar to the Democratic National Conventionās virtual roll call, which featured video clips of delegates in their home states.
āThere probably will not be a gigantic inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue,ā Biden said. āBut my guess is youāll see a lot of virtual activity in states all across America, engaging even more people.ā
Crowded inaugural balls also are likely out of the question due to the pandemic.
The Walter E. Washington Convention Center that typically would host soirees was once again prepped this month for use as a COVID-19 field hospital.
Another question looming over the inauguration: What will Trump do?
Traditionally, the outgoing president and first lady would meet with the incoming first family at the White House, and then ride together to the Capitol for the noontime ceremony.
But Trump has refused to accept the election results, launching a failed series of legal challenges and posting unfounded claims of election fraud, even after the Electoral College certified his defeat. Asked in a Fox News interview this month if heāll attend Bidenās inauguration, Trump replied: āI donāt want to talk about that.ā
The last time a president did not participate in their successorās inauguration was in 1869, when President Andrew Johnson left office and Ulysses S. Grant was sworn in.