Successful Phone Call Between Vice President and Vice President-Elect
[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to congratulate her on her election victory.
According to U.S. media on the 15th (local time), Vice President Pence called Vice President-elect Harris the day before. The two ended the call in a dignified and pleasant atmosphere. This was their first phone conversation since meeting during the presidential debate on October 7 last year.
This call contrasts with President Donald Trump's refusal to have any contact with President-elect Joe Biden.
It is customary for the sitting U.S. president to invite the next president to the White House, but President Trump ignored this, claiming election fraud. President Trump also decided not to attend Biden's inauguration. In contrast, Vice President Pence will attend Biden's inauguration on the 20th.
'National Mall,' Crowded with People for the Presidential Inauguration, to Close Starting Today
With five days remaining until President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, security in Washington DC has been further tightened.
The National Park Service (NPS), at the request of the Secret Service, will temporarily close most of the National Mall area from 11 a.m. on the day until the day after the inauguration, the 21st. The National Mall is a park stretching from the Lincoln Memorial near the White House to the Washington Monument and the Capitol, where the presidential inauguration takes place.
Following intelligence obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about the possibility of simultaneous violent incidents occurring in Washington DC and the capitals of all 50 states around the time of the inauguration, federal and state authorities are making every effort to prevent additional violence.
Twenty thousand National Guard troops have been deployed in Washington DC, and major roads are also being controlled. Thirteen subway stations around the Capitol have been closed.
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