Metal fences, concrete barriers and security checkpoints still line many the walkways and cross streets of the National Mall – extending from the U.S. Capitol down past some of Washington’s most noted landmarks – as the nation prepares to swear in its 47th president.
But while the 0.6-square-kilometer (146-acre) swath of land is often the highlight of many a tourist visit, it is no longer the focus of security efforts for when President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office for a second time.
Frigid temperatures forecast for much of Monday led Trump to move the festivities inside – the inauguration to the U.S. Capitol Rotunda and the traditional inaugural parade to the nearby Capital One Arena.
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The changes, first announced Friday, presented a last-minute hitch for security and law enforcement officials, who had been planning for the inauguration for the past year.
People around outside Capital One Arena after a rally ahead of the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Jan. 19, 2025, in Washington.
And it has left them, and the approximately 25,000 law enforcement and military personnel charged with security, with multiple challenges.
“We will shift those assets,” said the U.S. Secret Service’s Matt McCool, briefing reporters Sunday.
“We have not cut anything from what our original plan was,” he said. “I’m very confident, with our partners here, we will be ready.”
The numbers could make the situation especially trying.
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Organizers had expected about 250,000 ticketed guests to descend on the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall to watch the inauguration.
Only a select few will be allowed into the Capitol Rotunda, which accommodates just 600 people. And the Capital One Area seats just 20,000.
If even just a fraction of the 250,000 people who had planned on attending the inauguration try to get to the arena, there could be a crunch.
Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said Sunday her force, bolstered by and about 4,000 police officers from across the U.S., will be ready.
“Nothing has really changed,” Smith told reporters. “The police officers that were committed and dedicated to coming here, we’ll be flexible in how we’ll adjust [their] movement. … So, we will still have police officers in places and spaces around our city as we initially planned.”
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Some of those officers, Smith said, will still be assigned to the original parade route in anticipation that some people will try to get a glimpse of the presidential motorcade as it goes by.
U.S. Capitol Police said they also anticipate having officers on the periphery of the West Front of the Capitol – now closed off with the inauguration moved indoors – ready to direct ticketed guests who will no longer be able to attend.
In addition, the inaugural security contingent, which includes the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, U.S. Capitol Police, Washington Metropolitan Police, and some 7,800 members of the U.S. Army and Air National Guard, will all be coordinated from a command center linked into an expanded network of cameras keeping watch on the city.
And though security measures in some areas, including along parts of the National Mall, have been relaxed, officials said there will be plenty of reminders for anyone coming to Washington that this is no ordinary time.
“They will see tactical teams,” McCool said, during an earlier briefing with reporters last week. “They’ll see, officers and agents on rooftops, they’ll see checkpoints. They’ll see road closures and barriers in concrete.”
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Even before the inauguration was moved inside, officials had been preparing for what they described as “a higher threat environment,” cautioning the security plans for this inauguration were already more robust than in the past.
“The biggest threat, I think, for all of us remains the lone actor,” said Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger. “That threat … remains the biggest justification for us being on this heightened stage state of alert.”
Those concerns were heightened following the New Year’s Day terror attack and truck ramming in New Orleans and the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Earlier this month Capitol Police arrested two men suspected of trying to disrupt the state funeral for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, one who tried to bring knives and a machete into the Capitol and another who set their car on fire.
Research, including a recent survey by the University of Chicago Project on Security and Threats, adds to the concerns.
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“Over 5% of the American public supports the use of force to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president,” Robert Pape, the project’s director, told VOA.
“That equates to 14,000,000 American adults,” he said. “That’s an unfortunately disturbing number.”
Already, Trump was also the target of two attempted assassinations.
There is also an ongoing threat from Iran. Despite repeated Iranian denials, U.S. security and law enforcement officials have accused Tehran of trying to kill Trump, unveiling one plot set to be carried out last year, in the days after the U.S. presidential election.
For now, though, U.S. officials see no signs of impending trouble.
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“The FBI is not currently tracking any credible or specific threats to the inaugural ceremony or the Capitol complex,” the bureau’s Washington Field Office told VOA. “We will continue to work closely with our partners to share information and identify and disrupt any threats that may emerge.”
Another source for concern is the tens of thousands of protesters, though so far, there have been no major incidents.
Saturday’s People’s March, which was permitted to have as many as 50,000 protesters, sparked only brief tensions with Trump supporters.
Another group, called We Fight Back, has permits for protests involving about 10,000 people in across several locations on Monday.
“Please note that [we] will ensure your right to peacefully protest and assemble,” said the Metropolitan Police Department’s Smith.
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“However, I want to reiterate, as I always have, that violence, destruction and unlawful behavior will not be tolerated,” she said. “Offenders will face swift and decisive consequences … anyone who thinks that they can come into this city to destroy property, we will be prepared to deal with them.”
The judges ruled in favor of local officials who sought to force the federal government to keep the SNAP program running in November.
Volunteers, many of whom use the food bank, hand out food to clients at the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s Northeast Emergency Food Program in Portland, Ore., on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.
Eli Imadali / OPB
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Two federal judges on Friday ordered the Trump administration to use emergency reserve money to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program amid the ongoing federal shutdown. But Oregon and Washington SNAP recipients expecting to get benefits the first week of November could still see a delay.
Judges order the Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during the shutdown
Judge John J. McConnell of Rhode Island directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use contingency funding appropriated by Congress to fund the food stamp program, which helps more than 757,000 Oregonians and more than 905,000 Washington residents buy groceries.
McConnell ordered the federal government to “ distribute the contingency money timely or as soon as possible for the Nov. 1 payments to be made,” as reported by the New York Times.
In a second ruling from Boston, a judge said the federal government would have to use an equitable approach to reducing benefits if it did not have the funds to fully pay for SNAP.
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A spokesperson for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek did not have an immediate comment and referred questions to the Oregon Department of Human Services, which helps administer the program. A spokesperson for that agency did not immediately respond to a text message.
Oregon contracts with a third-party processor to make benefits payments, and in interviews before Friday’s court rulings, state officials told OPB that means quick changes to SNAP payment plans could overwhelm its systems.
“Due to the unprecedented and complex nature of this situation, ODHS’ EBT vendor that distributes federal SNAP money has not been able to give us a concrete timeline regarding the post-shutdown November SNAP issuance,” an Oregon Department of Human Services spokesperson said.
The Rhode Island federal court order to continue payments came one day before federal funding for the SNAP program was set to run out.
That would have left millions of Americans without the benefits they rely on to put food on their tables. Congress has yet to pass a short-term spending bill to fund programs like SNAP, and the Trump administration said it would not use contingency funds to pay for food assistance.
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In Oregon, more than half of SNAP recipients are seniors, children and people with disabilities.
This is a breaking story. Watch for updates.
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A third teenager has been arrested and charged in the shooting death of a University of Massachusetts student who was working as a congressional intern in Washington, D.C. this summer.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, of Granby, Massachusetts, was an innocent bystander when he was shot four times near the convention center in Washington on June 30. Investigators say three armed suspects exited a stolen vehicle and began firing shots at two young men.
Tarpinian-Jachym was rushed to the hospital where he died the next day. Five other people were assaulted or injured in the incident, prosecutors said.
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On Wednesday night, 18-year-old Naqwan Antonio Lucas of the District of Columbia, was arrested in Montgomery Village, Maryland and charged in Tarpinian-Jachym’s murder.
Last month, 17-year-old Kelvin Thomas, Jr. and Naqwan Lucas’ brother, 17-year-old Jailen Lucas, were arrested and charged as adults on counts of first-degree murder while armed in connection with Tarpinian-Jachym’s murder.
Tarpinian-Jachym was a rising senior at UMass Amherst and was spending the summer in Washington as a congressional intern for Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican from Kansas.
Naqwan Lucas pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday afternoon. He is being held until a status hearing with his co-defendants on November 7.
Naqwan Lucas was also charged in the July 4 murder of 17-year-old Zoey Kelley, who was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in a bedroom closet of an apartment in Washington, D.C.
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Last week, the Metropolitan Police Department and FBI announced a $75,000 reward for information leading to Lucas’ arrest.
The 1-2 Washington Wizards are taking on the red hot, 3-0 Philadelphia 76ers. Though early in the season, Philadelphia looks like one of the teams to beat in the eastern conference — even more impressive considering their banged up roster.
Joel Embiid, Paul George and Jared McCain have all missed time thus far this season. McCain will remain out for the foreseeable future, but George and Embiids’ status remains up in the air. Despite the 76ers seemingly being a daunting opponent, there are still a few things that the Wizards can do in order to pull out the win.
Much like the last game, the Wizards are matched up with a 76ers team who is on the tail end of a back-to-back. Washington did come out hot last game, jumping out to an early lead. However, they didn’t sustain that pace throughout the course of the game, allowing the Charlotte Hornets to take over down the stretch. Washington has proven to have the ball handlers and depth necessary to sustain a high pace over the course of a game, its up to them to execute it.
Oct 26, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard CJ McCollum (3) attempts a shot in front of Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images / Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
With the 76ers stacked roster, it will be inherently difficult for the Wizards to slow down their momentum. Between Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe, the Wizards quite the handful. Because of this, Washington will be forced to focus on one or two players in order to have success. Its difficult to eliminate players of their caliber from games, especially considering the Wizards lack of perimeter defense.
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However, Washington’s best bet would be to try and overwhelm Embiid and Edgecombe. Embiid is well past him prime years and lingering lower body injuries have really slowed him down. As a result, the Wizards pace of play coupled with consistent physical play could effectively remove him from the game. Edgecombe is of course a rookie, allowing Washington to possibly exploit his lack of experience.
Oct 26, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) attempts a jump shot over Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) and forward Tidjane Salaun (31) during the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images / Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
The one thing that has held consistent for Washington over the course of this season is the offense. Their offense is the base for all of their success and has kept them in every game this season. Philadelphia will undoubtedly have a high powered offense versus the Wizards lack-luster defense, so as a result, Washington will have to get their offense rolling early on in order to keep up.
Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson have brought the heat night in and night out, but Washington will have to get some other guys going in order to keep up. Look for CJ McCollum or Bub Carrington to break out of the slumps they have been in, having their first big games of the season.
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