Security preparations for the inauguration of Joe Biden

[5] Following the attack and reports of subsequent threats to disrupt Biden's inauguration and incite nationwide unrest, the Secret Service launched a security operation that surpassed any in modern U.S. history[1] with the aim of avoiding a repeat of the deadly Capitol riot.

[6][7] On January 11, Trump approved a request for an emergency declaration in Washington, D.C., allowing federal assistance through FEMA to help secure the event.

[16][17][18] Commanded by Major General William J. Walker of the D.C. National Guard, troops were assigned various duties, including traffic and crowd control and grounds patrol.

[23] The total number of troops in the city may have been the highest since the American Civil War—comparable to that during Abraham Lincoln's first inauguration, which also featured an increased military presence—and surpassed the 13,000 guardsmen deployed during the 1968 riots.

[25] Thousands rested in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center,[6] but their lax adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, such as remaining distant from each other and wearing facial coverings, led to nearly 250 members contracting the disease.

[12][26] Organizers and officials made an unprecedented effort to deter people from visiting Washington, D.C. during the week of the inauguration over concerns of political violence.

[40] On January 17, a 22-year-old avowed Trump supporter from Gordonsville, Virginia, was arrested near the Capitol complex; he was charged with carrying an unlicensed Glock 22 handgun, three high-capacity magazines, and 37 rounds of unregistered ammunition.

[41] In a separate incident the same day, a 63-year-old woman from Stratford, Connecticut, claiming to be a law enforcement officer and "a part of the presidential cabinet" was stopped by Capitol Police at a checkpoint near Union Station.

[42] She fled from police, was arrested, underwent a psychiatric examination,[42] and was subsequently charged with impersonating, failing to obey, and fleeing an officer.

[58] The fence and tight security around the U.S. Capitol building caused problems for the government of the District of Columbia, who had trouble gaining entry to hand deliver their city bills to the U.S. Congress for approval.

[64][65] In the early afternoon of January 21, the Capitol Police ordered all 3,500 members of the National Guard stationed in the Capitol and congressional office buildings to relocate to the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building parking garage due to increased indoor foot traffic in hallways and open spaces as Congress reconvened.

[54][70] 5,000 members who patrolled the Capitol remained active until late March following concerns that unrest may arise during the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump, which began and concluded in February, and around Biden's first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.