How Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day Will Be Different Than Any Other

President-elect Joe Biden is set to be sworn in at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday afternoon after Donald Trump leaves the White House. Just as in the final months of Trump’s presidency, Biden will assume office amid unprecedented circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, 2021’s Inauguration Day comes after the storming of the Capitol that sparked new impeachment charges against Trump.

Given the extraordinary times, this year’s Inauguration Day will differ from previous ones in many ways.

The Size & Scope Have Been Limited Due To The Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic continues to affect all 50 states in America. As reported by The Los Angeles Times, the crisis has significantly limited the size and scope of Inauguration Day. Biden’s supporters and family will all be wearing masks and socially distanced, and all will be engaging in fewer handshakes and other forms of physical contact.

Notably, only 1,000 members of Congress, governors, and their guests will attend, and all must be previously tested for COVID-19 in the days prior to the event.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi noted the smaller crowd is due to the COVID-19 crisis — not the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

“There will be less pomp. No luncheon in the Capitol Rotunda with representatives and senators. Most officials from the House and Senate and their guests will not even be allowed inside the Capitol while Biden is present,” The Los Angeles Times reported.

The Inauguration Parade Will Be Virtual

Unlike past years, the traditional procession down Pennsylvania Avenue will be replaced with a virtual event. Per USA Today, the “Parade Across America” is set to be hosted by director-producer Tony Goldwyn — who played American President Fitzgerald Grant on Scandal — and will feature performers and athletes including comedian Jon Stewart, the reunited band New Radicals, and Olympic athletes Nathan Chen, Allyson Felix, and Katie Ledecky.

“President-elect Joe Biden’s virtual parade, which will follow his swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol and a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, will include performers and other representatives from all 50 states and several U.S. territories,” the publication noted.

There Is An Increased National Guard Presence Deployed To Washington, D.C.

According to Fox 5, a Washington, D.C. affiliate, as many as 25,000 National Guard troops have been mobilized and deployed to the nation’s capital, as Inauguration Day has been deemed a “national special security event.”

In the wake of the riots at the Capitol building, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is vetting all members of the National Guard who are being deployed to the Capitol. As reported by the Associated Press, American defense officials are allegedly concerned about an insider attack amid worries that Trump supporters, far-right militants, and other radical groups could be planning violence.

As a result of the vetting efforts, which were aimed at identifying “any questionable behavior in the past or any potential link to questionable behavior,” 12 members of the National Guard have been removed from Inauguration Day duties, according to a release from the Department of Defense.

Outgoing President Donald Trump Will Not Be In Attendance

In what will mark a break of a 150-year American tradition, Trump will not be attending Biden’s inauguration. Although Trump conceded the election following the January 6 riots, he continues to claim that the election was stolen from him via widespread electoral fraud.

As The Inquisitr reported, Biden claimed that Trump’s absence is a “good thing.”