‘There is a broader far-right coalition openly advocating for civil war’

US law enforcement agencies have ramped up security measures for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, days after supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in a violent attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election.
Last week, a mob of angry Donald Trump supporters stormed Capitol Hill and clashed with police in violence that left five people. The rioters were attempting to prevent the confirmation of Joe Biden’s election victory. They descended on the US Capitol after Trump made a speech to his supporters, imploring them to “fight” to stop the “steal”‘ of the election.

The National Guard was authorized on Monday to send up to 15,000 troops to Washington as a security measure to safeguard the capital. About 10,000 troops will arrive in the capital by Saturday to help provide security, logistics, and communications, he told reporters, adding that an additional 5,000 could be requested from other states.
In other security measures, tourists were barred from visiting the Washington Monument until January 24.

An internal FBI bulletin on Sunday warned of planned armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington DC in the run-up to the inauguration. The nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through the inauguration ceremony in Washington.

DW’s US correspondent Oliver Sallet spoke to Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Professor of Education and Sociology School of Education at the American University and Director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) about last weeks events and the rising dangers of far-right extremism in the US.