A rehearsal for Joe Biden’s inauguration that was originally scheduled for Sunday has been postponed due to security concerns in the wake of last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Politico reported late Thursday.
Two people with knowledge of the decision told the publication that the rehearsal is now scheduled to take place a day later, on Monday.
The news comes as security officials work to ensure that the Capitol complex is secure after failures to do so ahead of the Jan. 6 joint congressional session that was met by a violent pro-Trump mob inflamed by President Trump.
The National Guard is expected to deploy more than 20,000 troops in preparation for the inauguration ceremonies next week and federal authorities distributed a bulletin to law enforcement urging them to be on high alert for potential further violence as President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in.
A Wednesday statement from the Biden transition team noted that the President-elect had been briefed about the threats from the FBI, the Secret Service and national security officials.
Biden’s team also said earlier this week that it would cancel the incoming president’s Amtrak trip from Wilmington to the nation’s capital due to ongoing security threats that have grown increasingly dire since last week’s Capitol siege.
Per Politico, Biden’s team has also doubled down on transition security issues, bringing on Lisa Monaco, a former Obama administration Homeland Security adviser to serve as a temporary adviser on security around the inauguration.
Biden had nominated Monaco to serve as deputy attorney general, but her preparation related to that nomination has been temporarily halted as she prioritizes security ahead of the inauguration “given the existing threats,” a spokesperson for the Biden transition told Politico.
Politico reported that Monaco will work directly with the incoming national security advisor, the incoming homeland security advisor, and current security and law enforcement officials, including with the United States Secret Service on their plans for the inauguration.
