Live Updates: Trump approves DC emergency declaration prior to Biden inauguration

DHS ramping up security several days ahead of Biden inauguration

Former FBI official Danny Coulson says authorities can’t afford to consider ‘optic issues’ of heightened security

President Donald Trump on Monday approved an emergency declaration for Washington D.C., ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration and amid fears of potential violence following last week’s deadly riot inside the U.S. Capitol. 

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser asked for the declaration order in a Sunday letter to Trump days after a mob stormed into the Capitol and violently clashed with authorities as lawmakers were certifying Biden’s Electoral College victory. The declaration runs from Monday through Jan. 24. 

Trump’s order authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide assistance for emergency actions.

FAST FACTS

• Security concerns have grown over the inauguration amid reports that armed extremists are organizing for more action in wake of the attack last week. 
•  The FBI warned that all 50 state capitals could see protests before, on, or after Inauguration Day.

“Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency,” the declaration states. “Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 100 percent Federal funding.”

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