- Title: Washington prepares for Trump's inauguration
- Date: 8th December 2016
- Summary: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 8, 2016) (REUTERS) PAN FROM THE CAPITOL BUILDING TO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WORKING ON THE VIEWING STANDS VARIOUS OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AT WORK CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ON A FORKLIFT CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE INAUGURATION AND JUNIOR UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM MISSOURI WALKING UP TO CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE INAUGURATION AND JUNIOR UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM MISSOURI ROY BLUNT SAYING: "We are on time and on budget. I'm not sure we'll do a whole lot better than that but this is one of those projects that definitely has to be on time. And you always want to be on budget and we are." THE CAPITOL BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE INAUGURATION AND JUNIOR UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM MISSOURI ROY BLUNT SAYING: "There will be almost 250,000 people that will be ticketed. 1,600 of them on the platform. Maybe as many as a 1000 in the bleacher area. And then another 240,000 or so that will come through magnetometers." PAN FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO THE REVIEWING STAND UNDER CONSTRUCTION VARIOUS OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WORKING ON THE REVIEWING STAND VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LOOKING AT THE REVIEWING STAND
- Embargoed: 23rd December 2016 20:05
- Keywords: Donald Trump President-elect Capitol White House Washington D.C inauguration
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C, UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA0015C0ZTJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Days ahead of United States President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, preparations were underway on Thursday (December 8) at the Capitol building grounds and near the White House grounds.
Construction of the inaugural platform on the West Front of the Capitol was going according to plan and budget with 43 days to the ceremony.
Roy Blunt, the Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Inauguration and Junior United States Senator From Missouri said he expects construction of the platform to be completed by January 15th.
"We are on time and on budget. I'm not sure we'll do a whole lot better than that but this is one of those projects that definitely has to be on time. And you always want to be on budget and we are," he said.
District of Columbia officials are expecting around a million people for the inauguration and events surrounding it.
This number is less compared with those attending Obama's first inauguration in 2009. A record 1.8 million visitors flooded the city to see Obama take the oath of office the first time.
"There will be almost 250,000 people that will be ticketed. 1,600 of them on the platform. Maybe as many as a 1000 in the bleacher area. And then another 240,000 or so that will come through magnetometers," added Blunt.
Several groups have vowed to demonstrate. More than 135,000 people have said they would take part in a march for women's rights the day after the ceremony.
Trump's election on Nov. 8 led to days of sometimes-violent protests by people who said the New York businessman and former reality TV star encouraged racism, bigotry and misogyny in his campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton and was a threat to American values.
Trump is expected to finally move into the White House on January 20th after he is sworn in as the 45th U.S president. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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