7,000 guards already deployed to Washington for inauguration, says General

The US National Guard already deployed about 7,000 members in order to support security during upcoming Joseph Biden and inauguration on January 20 and plans to triple this number closer to the event, the National Guard General Daniel Hokanson said.

"Right now we have approximately around 7,000 National Guard soldiers on the ground in support of federal lead agencies, and we are building to 21,000 for the upcoming inauguration," Hokanson during a security briefing with US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday.

National Guard members are armed and equipped commensurate with the missions they were asked to do, he said.

Hokanson ensured that the National Guard members will provide security, communications, logistics, and coordination with all agencies.

On January 6, a group of President Donald Trump's supporters entered the Capitol to protest lawmakers certifying election slates from several US states the president claims are invalid and robbed him of election victory. The Trump supporters clashed with police and the incident resulted in five deaths, including that of a Capitol police officer and an Air Force veteran who was shot dead by police.

The inauguration takes place on a stage in front of the Capitol's West Front, allowing spectators to gather on an open mall that extends beyond the Washington monument.

Authorities expect Wednesday's crowd to be relatively small compared with past inaugurations due to the coronavirus pandemic.