WASHINGTON – President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s election committee on Sunday unveiled new details about his trip to the White House following his inauguration at the U.S. Capitol, further emphasizing the diminished and largely virtual nature of his Inauguration Day plans. .
Following the oath of office, Mr. Biden is conducting a traditional review of military troops intended to highlight the peaceful transfer of power, the presidential inauguration committee said. The committee also said Mr. Biden will receive official guidance with representatives of each branch of the military for one city block before arriving at the White House.
The statement left many details unclear, including the nature of the rest of Mr. Biden’s journey of about 2.5 kilometers to the White House from the Capitol. According to long tradition, a large presidential highway slowly rolls down Pennsylvania Avenue past thousands of cheering spectators, with the newly inaugurated president stepping off the trail.
But because of the coronavirus pandemic, the entry committee this year urged Americans not to travel to Washington for the event. The committee hopes to deter large crowds that could transmit the virus, which kills more than 2,000 Americans every day.
Instead of the big, personal extravagances of recent years, the inaugural committee said it was planning a “virtual parade” across the country, with “the iconic images of a new president, a new vice president and their families make their way to the White House ”along with“ musical performances, local orchestras, poets, dance groups and more that pay homage to America’s heroes in the front lines of the pandemic. ”
Committee officials plan to mimic the various segments from across the country that were broadcast during the Democratic National Convention in August, when the spread of the virus also banned large physical gatherings.
Mr. Biden and elected vice president Kamala Harris have each been vaccinated against the coronavirus and will therefore pose little personal risk. But inauguration officials hope to avoid an event that could exacerbate the raging spread of the virus across the country, and to model behaviors that reflect public health guidelines.
The announcement on Sunday came days after workers demolished a large parade lookout stall built in front of the White House in recent weeks, apparently with some hope for a somewhat more traditional event. But the continued spread of the virus made it impossible.
Maju Varghese, the executive director of the Presidential Inaugural Committee – a non-profit organization funded by private donations – said in a statement that the committee strives for an “inclusive and accessible celebration that brings Americans together and unites our nation” , especially during such a difficult time for our country. ”
The planned ‘Pass in Review’, in which Mr. Biden and me. Harris will look out for uniformed service members, will be held on the east side of the Capitol, after Mr. Praying on the west side of the building swore. He is expected to deliver a speech to the country, flanked by a well-rounded gathering of government officials and dignitaries.
The traditional military review is intended in part to commemorate the United States’ tradition of a peaceful transfer of power, but its announcement came at a time when the fundamental aspect of American democracy was in doubt.
An audio recording emerged Sunday of a telephone conversation on Saturday in which President Trump put Republican Secretary of State, Georgia, Brad Raffensperger, under pressure to find him enough votes to overthrow the election and Mr. Raffensperger threatened with a criminal offense. Also on Sunday, ten former defense secretaries collectively published a statement in The Washington Post warning of any political interference in the presidential transition by the Pentagon, whose leadership Mr. Trump has piled up loyalists since the November election.
It remains unclear whether Mr. Trump plans to inaugurate Mr. Pray to attend, and even less to the traditional welcome of the incoming president in the White House, before offering a joint ride to the Capitol for the ceremony. In the statement of the opening committee, the outgoing president is not mentioned, and a committee official had no further details.