Security strengthened at residences of U.S. presidential candidates

With the start of on-site voting for the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday (local time), tensions are rising across the U.S. With the two candidates locked in a tight race, it could take quite some time for the winner to emerge, and there is also the possibility of clashes between supporters of both sides. Security has also been strengthened at the White House in Washington, D.C., the residence of Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris, and the residence of Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump.

The Washington Post reported on Monday that “the U.S. Secret Service has installed 8-foot high barbed wire around the White House and the nearby Harris residence.” Thick steel fences have also been erected at Lafayette Square in front of the White House and the nearby Treasury complex. In front of the Capitol, where the “January 6 Capitol Hill Incident” occurred due to extreme Republican supporters who refused to accept then-President Trump’s defeat in the 2021 presidential election, temporary barriers made of bicycle racks and police lines were installed.

The streets near her alma mater, Howard University, where candidate Harris is known to be watching the vote count, were also restricted from Monday afternoon. “We have mobilized police helicopters and drones to monitor the situation in downtown Washington,” a Washington official said. “We plan to deploy additional police forces.”

Security has also been strengthened for candidate Trump, who has been the subject of two assassination attempts this year. It has been reported that security measures similar to those of the White House will be installed at his Mar-a-Lago resort home in Florida, where candidate Trump is watching the vote count, and at a convention center near his home, where he is scheduled to hold an event on the afternoon of Tuesday.


이청아기자 clearlee@donga.com