Work has begun on an inauguration stage at the Capitol. The last one became part of Jan. 6 attack

WASHINGTON (AP) — Work on the presidential inauguration platform began Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol with congressional leaders pounding the first ceremonial nails into a stage they cast as a symbol of America’s commitment to the peaceful transfer of power — a tradition that was almost upended in 2021 when Donald Trump’s supporters violently stormed the Capitol.

As Republican and Democratic leaders gathered in a moment of bipartisanship with Washington’s National Mall spread before them, no direct mention was made of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack where Trump’s supporters used pipes, lumber and other materials from the inauguration stage to attack law enforcement and halt the certification of the election.

But memories of that day, and heightened worries about violence in this year’s tense election season after the latest apparent assassination attempt against Trump, shadowed 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 preparations for the inauguration.

Preparations for the last inauguration became an integral part of the violence that unfolded at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with rioters swarming the stage and the tall press platform that stands in front of it during their siege of the building.

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