The days building up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden has been one of the most chaotic transition periods in the history of the United States, which included the storming of the US Capitol by President Donald Trump’s staunch supporters. The violence at the Capitol followed a flurry of resignations by senior officials in the Trump administration and the acting homeland security chief, Chad Wolf, was the latest to quit amid worries over more violence during Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats have started a push to force Trump out of office by introducing an article of impeachment and a resolution calling on vice president Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reportedly warned of armed protests being planned at all 50 state capitols and in Washington DC in the run-up to the inauguration.
The federal agency has received information on a group calling for others to join them is storming state, local and federal government courthouses and administrative buildings in case Trump is removed as President before the inauguration day. “Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from January 16 through at least January 20, and at the US Capitol from January 17 through January 20,” according to the internal FBI bulletin obtained by several US media outlets.
Here are the key dates to watch for:
January 12: The House of Representatives is set to vote on the resolution which was introduced on Monday, calling on Pence and the cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment. Democrats want the vice president to declare the president unfit for office and remove him immediately. Though the resolution is likely to pass in a Democrats-controlled House, Pence has not shown any intention to act on it.
January 13: The resolution to call on the vice president to invoke the 25th Amendment is mostly a symbolic gesture by Democrats to show that they have exhausted all options before moving to the impeachment proceedings. On Wednesday, the House will hold a vote on the single article of impeachment. Trump is likely to become the first president in the history of the United States to be impeached twice.
January 17: While pro-Trump supporters have called for protests on various dates, they are reportedly planning armed demonstrations in cities across the country on Sunday.
January 20: The day is scheduled for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. The far-right groups are planning to storm government offices in every state, causing concerns for domestic law enforcement agencies.