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President Donald Trump’s swearing-in on Monday featured the largest and most complex security operation of any inauguration in U.S. history.
The nation’s capital transformed overnight from a pedestrian-friendly city to a terrifying and impregnable fortress. This was the result of a multi-agency task force that installed 30 miles of anti-scale fencing, coordinated air surveillance and drones, and monitored the deployment of air weapons. Tens of thousands of law enforcement, military personnel, undercover agents and National Guard trucks across D.C.
The impressive government-wide security effort on Inauguration Day was unprecedented and not without reason. Trump was the victim of two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign, including one by a gunman who got close enough to scratch his ear. The domestic threat was heightened by the terrorist-inspired attacks in New Orleans and the execution-style killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan late last year.
What’s remarkable, then, is that this year’s vast security effort did not explicitly include one key element considered a cornerstone of American tradition: the naming of designated survivors. .
A fence stands in front of the U.S. Capitol. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
In Washington, D.C., a closely coordinated federal protection effort was carefully planned by the Secret Service and many other federal agencies in advance of President Trump’s inauguration.
While it’s a nod to recent national security concerns, it’s also more about protecting U.S. politicians, foreign officials, donors, and the thousands of attendees from large-scale disasters and threats. It is also an initiative for the purpose of
Designated survivors would be responsible for leading the United States post-crisis in the event of a catastrophic event, but elected officials at critical security events such as the inauguration and the State of the Union address When they meet together, they usually form a cabinet. .
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President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the Commander in Chief Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images )
Previous survivors named include former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, and Robert Gates, who was selected for the role at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration. Includes former Secretary of Defense.
Mr. Gates was appointed by George W. Bush and retained by Mr. Obama, and served in the Pentagon until July 2011, according to his official Pentagon biography.
The location, and in some cases the identity, of survivors will remain confidential until the event has broken up and participants have returned home safely. High-profile events have more extensive contingency plans in place.
As Garrett Graf reported in 2016, Gates’ role as the designated survivor at President Obama’s inauguration included the support of another senior administration figure: James Clapper, then the deputy secretary of intelligence. was included, but he was smuggled deep into an underground government bunker in Pennsylvania as backup during the ceremony. If necessary, agree to backup and nod to detailed succession plans carefully crafted by collective defense, intelligence agencies, and other federal agencies. A period of about 40 years or more.
It is therefore noteworthy that not a single designated survivor was named at the inauguration of the 47th president.
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President Donald Trump attends the Commander in Chief Ball to celebrate his inauguration in Washington on January 20, 2025 (Reuters/Daniel Cole)
The reason for the designated survivor’s absence was not disclosed, as first reported by NBC News.
By January 20, the coordinated and sprawling security forces may have been deemed sufficient to protect against any threat.
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President Donald Trump reviews troops during the inauguration ceremony in Liberation Hall at the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025. (Greg Nash/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Additionally, because the event was held indoors, it was limited to the public and media, and may have been sufficiently restricted that no designated survivors could be guaranteed.
Ahead of the event, FBI and Secret Service officials emphasized that strict security measures are in place and ticketed attendees are rigorously vetted.
David Sandberg of the FBI’s Washington field office told Fox News earlier this week that the agency was not tracking “any specific or credible threats” on Inauguration Day.
“Everyone in attendance will be tested,” said Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Washington field office.
Those officials told Fox News that the fencing alone was larger than any designated National Security Event in the past.
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McCool said ahead of the inauguration that “designated checkpoints will be set up for members of the public interested in attending the inauguration.” This procedure also applied to participants in the modified Capital One Celebration, which was moved indoors due to the extreme cold.
Neither the White House, the Department of Homeland Security nor the FBI immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the absence of a designated survivor.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
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