Across the US, governors are readying themselves for possible attacks from violent pro-Trump mobs ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration later this week.
To prepare, states are deploying hundreds of National Guard troops, building security fences around their capitol buildings, barricading windows, closing statehouses and roads, and holding online legislative sessions.
The moves come after the FBI warned that “armed protests” involving extremists were being planned in all 50 states in the days leading up to the inauguration, according to an Associated Press report.
Some examples of the preparation underway:
👉 California Gov. Gavin Newsom authorized 1,000 National Guard personnel to protect the state Capitol.
👉New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ordered state employees to work remotely on Jan. 20, because of the “level of tension in the country,” the AP reported.
👉 The National Guard is on call in Arizona, and a chain-link fence was installed around the Capitol complex in Phoenix.
👉 Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine authorized 580 National Guard troops and announced that the Ohio Statehouse would be closed from Jan. 17 through Jan. 20.