I went to DC today to get some things from my office, and walked around to get a feel for what it is like two days before the inauguration. I’m furious about what these people are doing to our country, and I’d like to share pictures in this thread to let you see what I did 1/

Outside the secured zone, things were quieter than normal for a Monday (it is a federal holiday after all) but seemed deceptively normal. Approaching the heart of DC, though, I have never seen this kind of security lockdown in DC, ever. This is not normal. This is not America 2/

The only time that was even close was in the weeks after George Floyd’s murder. To be honest, there were more military vehicles lining the streets then. But despite the visible show of force and clashes then, DC was not shut down like it is now. Today was very quiet and eerie 3/

Listen to this. This is in the heart of DC. Normally, it would be hard to hear anything over the roar of cars, honking horns, talking people, and distant sirens. Only one car passes, a first responder. You can hear the jingling of the dog’s collar as it crosses the street 4/

This is as close as you can get to the Capitol. It isn’t just the Capitol that is surrounded by 7-foot metal fencing. It is the entire core of the city. ALL of it. I know. I logged over 16,000 steps by noon 5/

Around the Capitol, you can’t get to the metal fence. Police and other security have it taped and blocked off, and are standing guard watching for anyone who would try to cross 6/

@cnn removed their name from the sign outside their DC studio, and the campus around them is boarded up for the first time 7/

The Hall of States is boarded up, too, as are many of the buildings and storefronts around the heart of DC 8/

Military deuce-and-a-half blocks approach by North Capitol Street NW 9/

The Capitol seen through trees, behind a barricade of military vehicles 10/

One man standing next to me was holding a camera and wearing press credentials. Evidently assuming I was press, too, he looked over at me and (not really joking) commented, “there are more of us here than National Guard troops.” I’ve never seen that many cameras in DC, either 11/

The Capitol is still beautiful, but it was surreal seeing a protective wall around it, and seeing and hearing no traffic at all aside from security force vehicles 12/

Everywhere I looked, press was set up and broadcasting, or were heading to find places to set up. If I had to bet about whether that photographer was right about whether press outnumbered National Guard, I don’t know where I would put my money 13/

The Capitol, as Trump prepares to leave office 14/

Where they don’t have military trucks as barricades, they aren’t messing around with the Jersey barriers. No truck is getting through 15/

Every single street around the heart of DC is blocked off 16/

Where they don’t have military vehicles or jersey barriers, they have heavy construction vehicles barricading the roads 17/

Many roads are blocked by gates and Jersey barriers, and have security tents to check any person who tries to pass through 18/

Tents for the security forces are spaced along many roads 19/

Some of the tents are simply shelters with ad-hoc lighting 20/

The National Archives, protected by a barricade of heavy vehicles 21/

FBI HQ. Notice the grey tint of the top floors? That is netting installed to hold the crumbling concrete from falling onto people on the sidewalks. FBI was going to be moving out to a new headquarters space, before Trump cancelled that so a hotel couldn’t be built on that lot 22/

Buildings all over central DC are boarded up for protection 23/

The iconic DC Hard Rock Cafe is on 10th and E streets in northwest DC, only a handful of blocks from the Mall 24/

“... due to an emergency [created by Trump]”

This display was in a bus shelter in DC, cycling though different pictures of insurgents who assaulted the Capitol 26/

Ollie’s Trolley says they are open, but good luck getting to the front door 27/

I can’t emphasize how surreal it is for there to be NO traffic in the heart of Washington, DC 28/

The Smithsonian Natural History Museum, which backs up to the National Mall on the other side

The closed zone includes an enormous area around the White House. This is as close as they’ll let the public get 30/

The result of Trump’s presidency /31

Trump’s DC 32/

Union Station metro stop. Closed 33/

Military troop transport and Sunkist grape soda holder. Hey, people protecting our freedom need refreshment, too! 34/