The district of corruption is preparing for civil unrest on Election night as all signs point to another Trump White House win.
Many businesses and restaurants in Washington, D.C., have already begun boarding their windows with plywood boards in anticipation of riots if the election results in chaos. D.C. Assistant City Administrator Chris Rodriguez briefed the D.C. Council about the possibility of “large-scale riots and civil unrest” between Election Day and Inauguration Day—no matter which candidate wins.
— Frank Fighting For Freedom 🇺🇸 (@thinktankfranks) November 1, 2024
Similar to the 2020 election, some businesses and organizations in Washington DC are taking precautions for any disturbances that may occur amid heightened political tension and rhetoric.
— Cody Sigel Combs (@CodyCombsNEWS) November 1, 2024
This is just a few blocks away from the White House pic.twitter.com/gXGAzUvcda
ABC 7 News pointed out that businesses in downtown D.C. near the White House have boarded up their windows for the third consecutive presidential election season. City leaders, including the mayor, said they wouldn’t tolerate political violence and have been in contact with local law enforcement to ensure protestors don’t engage with businesses.
“Hopefully, no riots. Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt or any damage. After what happened last time, I guess, you have to be prepared for anything so, like I said, better safe than sorry,” a business owner told the outlet.
Another said her building management warned of unsafe conditions Election night and after that, and to prepare to stay home regardless of whether the next POTUS is former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris.
“The Metropolitan Police Department supports individuals peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights,” D.C. Chief of Police Pamela Smith told reporters. “But I want to be very clear: We will not tolerate any violence of any kind. We will not tolerate any riots. We will not tolerate the destruction of property. We will not tolerate any unlawful behavior. Offenders will be arrested and will be held accountable.”
Recent polls show a significant shift toward Trump as Harris’ chances collide. Many surveys found that the 45th president was in the lead among at least six critical swing states.
A Michigan Suffolk/USA Today survey Michigan showed Trump has a narrow edge over Harris in the battleground state. At the same time, New Hampshire looks to be a newly toss-up state with a red wave potentially making its way to the state.