President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration will NOT have a million people or 'gigantic parade' amid Covid-19
President-elect Joe Biden, who is set to take over the reins of the White House next month, has said that his inauguration will not see a million people on the Mall, reminding one of the controversial claims that incumbent President Donald Trump made over the crowd size during his inauguration in 2017. Trump claimed on that occasion that a million-and-half people came to witness his inauguration but when the media projected pictures showing a thinning crowd, the president lashed out at it.
Biden, 78, said on Friday, December 4, that he would instead hold a traditional swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, which is seen as a key symbol of the transfer of power. Trump, however, has not conceded defeat in the November 3 election claiming the contest was "rigged" in Biden’s favor. He has legally challenged the results but his legal lieutenants are yet to bring him any relief.
An inauguration restricted because of the pandemic
Biden, who recently broke his leg while playing his dog, cited the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as the reason why it will be “highly unlikely there will be a million people on the Mall going all the way down the mall”. He even gave a hint that the inauguration could look more like a virtual convention – like the Democratic National Convention which was held in August to officially endorse the former vice president as the party’s presidential nominee. “I think you’re going to see something that's closer to what the convention was like than the typical inauguration,” the veteran said.
The US has seen more than 14 million people getting affected by the virus while more than 278,000 have died. Biden, who has always stressed people’s safety in times of the pandemic, reiterated that his priority will remain the same even on Inauguration Day. Biden will be the 46th and oldest president to take over, eclipsing the record of his immediate predecessor who became the president at 70 four years age.
A low-profile inauguration will mean Biden will turn back historical patterns to go back decades.
The president-elect was asked on the matter during a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware. He was told that a lot of Americans were wondering how his inauguration would look like. He said: “So am I”.
The Democrat also said that his team was in talks with Congressional leaders about their plans for the big day. “There will probably not be a gigantic inaugural parade,” the president-elect said.
In a recent interview with CNN where he appeared along with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Biden expressed hope that Trump attended it saying it will give a positive image about the transfer of power and assure the rest of the world about American politics. But it is yet to be confirmed that Trump will be present at the inauguration which means the traditions of the outgoing and incoming presidents and their spouses having tea and a joint ride in the presidential limo to the capital could remain uncertain.