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D.C. Is Prepping for Increased Security After the Election. What That Will Look Like Is TBD.

Several National Guard units have been in crowd control and riot training.

National Guard soldiers open a gate
The National Guard has been prepping to protect the nation’s capital after Election Day since the spring. Carolyn Kaster/AP

National Guard soldiers across the country are preparing to help secure Washington, D.C., after Election Day. So far, no one has asked them to show up.

Now, almost four years after the unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Washington is anticipating heightened security after the presidential election to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. The actual plan, as it stands now, however, is tangled in a web of bureaucracy between the city, the Pentagon and the Secret Service.

For the greater part of the year, the National Guard and law enforcement have been prepping to protect the nation’s capital in January 2025. NOTUS identified several National Guard units that have been undergoing riot and crowd control training, including those from New York and Virginia.