Joe Biden arrives in Washington emphasising need for the nation to 'heal'

The US is preparing to herald Joe Biden as its 46th president on January 20, turning a page on Donald Trump in a city that vividly bears scars of his disordered presidency. Biden has arrived in the nation’s capital that reels from the infamous riots that killed five Americans. The incident that remained the highlight of the outgoing President's term. As Biden departed for Washington, US surpassed 400,000 deaths from the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. Now Biden, as soon as he steps in, would be tasked with the twin problems of settling the unrest as well as tackling the hammering crisis of the pandemic. 

While, the inauguration ceremony of incoming President is marked with huge crowds cheering and chanting, this year Washington is blanketed by an eerie silence. Ahead of the rather celebratory ceremony, the capital has been turned into a highly militarized zone on high alert. The ceremony, which would see Biden taking oath as America’s 46th President, would be held behind barbed wires and a ring of steel and would be watched by thousands of National Guards, The Guardian reported. 

On January 19, Trump released a “farewell address” video wherein he called on people to pray for Biden administration’s success however hinting that he may return to power later. In contrast, Biden gave his farewell speech in front of Delaware crowd asserting that he was honoured to serve the nation. “I know these are dark times but there’s always light. I’m truly honored to be your next president and commander-in-chief and I’ll always be a proud son of the state of Delaware,” the 78 year old said as he nearly broke down in tears. 

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Biden-Harris inauguration 

The inauguration of 46th US President-elect Joe Biden is scheduled to take place around 10:00-10:30 PM (IST) or 11:30 AM (ET) on January 20 amid concerns of potentially armed protests across the nation. It will be the first-ever curated live stream for “young Americans” with host, Keke Palmer, award-winning entertainer and advocate. The event will feature a message from the US First Lady-elect Jill Biden along with commentary from historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Erica Armstrong Dunbar. The event is reportedly aimed to start around 11 AM local time with national anthem and invocation on January 20. 

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