WASHINGTON — Work on the presidential inauguration platform began Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol, where congressional leaders hammered the first ceremonial nails into a podium they have constructed as a symbol of America’s commitment to a peaceful transfer of power — a tradition nearly upended in 2021 when Donald Trump’s supporters stormed heavily the Capitol.
As Republican and Democratic leaders met in a moment of bipartisanship with the National Mall in Washington before them, there was no direct mention of the January 6, 2021 attack, in which Trump’s supporters used pipes, wood and other materials from the inauguration stage to attack law enforcement and block the certification of the election.
But the memories of that day, and the increased concerns about violence in this year’s tense election season after the last apparent assassination attempt against Trump, followed the event.
“These workers will literally set the stage for the peaceful transfer of power,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota Democrat who chairs the joint committee overseeing inauguration preparations.
Preparations for the final inauguration became an integral part of the violence that unfolded at the Capitol on May 19. January 6, 2021as rioters stormed the stage and the high press platform in front of it as they laid siege to the building.
Workers putting the finishing touches on the structure were forced to flee that morning as rioters closed in. They were later forced to clear the rubble and rebuild parts of the stage for President Joe Biden’s inauguration two weeks later.
Klobuchar, flanked by construction workers in hard hats and reflective vests, saw next year’s presidential inauguration as an opportunity to “celebrate our democracy and the sacred values that bind us together as a nation.”
To enhance the symbolism, the six congressional leaders noted that the event also coincided with the anniversary of George Washington laying the Capitol’s cornerstone.
Lawmakers hammered a handful of the roughly 500,000 nails that hold the podium together. House Republican Leader Steve Scalise took to the task with gusto, using his left hand to lead his colleagues as Klobuchar closed the ceremony with a flourish, banging her gavel with a smile and a laugh.
When it is ready for the Jan. 20 ceremony, the stage will accommodate nearly 1,600 people — the president and vice president-elect, former presidents, foreign dignitaries, Supreme Court justices and congressional leaders — to celebrate the start of a new administration.
Five American flags will fly above the ceremony. One will be the current flag, two will have 13 stars for the original colonies, and two will have the number of stars from when the president’s home state was admitted to the union.
There will either be a 31-star flag for Vice President Kamala Harris’ California or a 27-star flag for Trump’s Florida. And the next president will either be the first Black woman and the first South Asian American to serve as president, or only the second to successfully attempt a comeback to the White House.
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Associated Press photographer J. Scott Applewhite contributed to this report.