Washington D.C. is preparing for political violence in the wake of Election Day on November 5.
The divided nation faces another intense presidential election on Tuesday.
So far, the expected pre-election riots have not materialized.
However, the situation could take a turn for the worse as voters respond to the election not going the way they hoped it would.
According to polls, most Americans expect at least some unrest after the election.
Images of businesses boarded up in downtown D.C. are making the rounds on social media.
Work crews have begun covering up the windows of buildings and stores near the White House as the election comes down to the final week. pic.twitter.com/d29CAEq0QS
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) October 31, 2024
Police in Washington D.C. will have the entire police force working 12-hour shifts, Chief Pamela Smith said this week.
“We will not tolerate any violence of any kind,” said Smith at a news conference.
“We will not tolerate the destruction of property.
“We will not tolerate any unlawful behavior.
“Offenders will be arrested and will be held accountable.”
The nation’s capital was rocked by the “George Floyd” riots in the summer of 2020.
At the time, violent leftists surrounded the White House and clashed with the Secret Service.
A pro-Trump election protest on January 6, 2021, evolved into unrest at the Capitol.
While most of the Jan. 6 protesters remained peaceful, one Trump supporter, Ashli Babbitt, was shot dead by a cop.
President Trump’s 2017 inauguration also was met with a violent response as leftist rioters clashed with police, lit fires, and smashed storefronts.
While the media are stoking fears of another January 6-style event on the Right, a violent reaction from the Left is also a possibility.
Democrats are ramping up efforts to paint Trump as a “fascist” bent on destroying American democracy in a second term.
In recent days, Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris compared Trump to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
Lame-duck President Joe Biden also smeared Trump supporters as “garbage” just days before Election Day.
This comes after Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, this Summer.
Another would-be assassin was arrested in September while trying to kill Trump at his Florida golf course.
Trump has blamed the extreme rhetoric of his opponents for the threats against his life.
However, Democrats have shown no signs of toning things down, despite publicly claiming to promote “unity.”
Anti-Trump incitement continued to build Friday when Trump was falsely accused of calling for the execution of Republican critic Liz Cheney.
Trump’s critics and corporate media hacks pounced on out-of-context comments to attack the 45th president.
President Trump suggested Cheney, an infamous war hawk, would not be so keen to push for foreign conflicts if she was given a rifle and sent to fight overseas.
However, Democrats and their corporate media allies deceptively twisted the statement into a hoax that claims Trump called for Cheney to face a firing squad.
READ MORE – Trump Blasts ‘Fake News’ Media for Pushing Liz Cheney ‘Execution’ Hoax