US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in Washington, D.C., following last week's riot in the Capitol Building.
The announcement comes a little over a week ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20.
On Wednesday, January 6, a mob of pro-Trump protestors stormed the Capitol Building and interrupted the Electoral College's affirmation of Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.
Once inside, the protestors clashed with riot police. Journalists and politicians were evacuated and Congress was suspended until order could be restored. A total of five people have died as a result of the violence that erupted, as of the time of writing.
Recognizing the clear and present danger of another such incident, Mayor of Washington DC Muriel Bowser wrote to acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf on Sunday, January 10.
Per Politico, Bowser urged the administration to recognize a pre-disaster declaration in the city in preparation for Inauguration Day, and now the DHS has announced it will be extending the Secret Service’s National Special Security Event.
However, with Democrats and Republicans alike now expressing concern about a similar security breach occurring on January 20, Trump has decided to beef up security protocols.
Trump has now declared a state of emergency in the District of Columbia himself, which will extend from January 11 to January 24, 2021.
Per an official White House press statement released to the public on Monday, January 11:
"The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population...
"Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment, and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.
"Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 100 percent Federal funding. [sic]"
Trump himself, who has been widely condemned for appearing to incite the mob in a speech made to the crowd prior to the riot, has recently promised an "orderly transition" of power on Biden's inauguration date.
Per CNN, in an official statement regarding the certification of Biden's victory after Congress had resumed, Trump said:
"Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th.
"I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again."
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