In the days leading up to the Inauguration of Joe Biden, 26,000 National Guard troops were deployed to fortify the United States Capitol following the pro-Trump rioters who stormed the building on January 6. As threats of more violence placed Washington, D.C., on high alert, photos of soldiers sleeping on the floor of the Capitol, or propped up against its marble columns, went viral. But beyond the startling images of camo-clad troops stationed in the nation’s highest seat of government, the city itself began to seem like a fortress. Here are some scenes from the build-up before and during the Inauguration:
This post was originally published on Radio Free.