U.S. national security agencies predict President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration will be “an attractive potential target” for violent extremists, as various outlets reported.

A threat assessment by a group of intelligence and law enforcement agencies, reviewed by POLITICO, suggested that potential perpetrators, particularly those with “election related grievances,” may see the president-elect's swearing-in as “their last opportunity to influence the election results through violence.”

Trump's heightened political and potentially violent environment has alarmed the agencies.

Police are also boosting Jan. 20 protection. Nationwide police will flood D.C. Pamela Smith, the city's police chief, announced a 4,000-person reinforcement at a press conference on Monday. A Capitol security official said that's in addition to Capitol Police's almost 1,000 officers.

On the LEO Presence

Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge for the Secret Service's Washington Field Office, announced that around 25,000 law enforcement and military personnel will secure the inauguration at a press conference on Monday.

Two assassination attempts on Trump during the 2024 campaign and subsequent attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas have put officials on alert for months.

FBI, Secret Service, Capitol Police, Washington D.C. government, and Supreme Court police department compiled a danger assessment with nightmare scenarios and potential perpetrators.

They warn terrorists, fanatics, and lone wolves might plot bombings, swatting calls, drone flights, and vehicle-rammings.

More Threats

There is also significant concern over Iran. The Islamic Republic has long wanted to murder Trump or his national security aides in vengeance for Trump's first-term order to kill Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

In reaction to a video broadcast by an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-aligned media agency, 700,000 Telegram users threatened to kill Trump the day after Election Day.

Law police fears chaotic inauguration protests. Some protesters who were arrested have applied for demonstration licenses.

“Past protests by some of these individuals have involved traffic blockades, trespassing, property destruction, and resisting arrest,” the threat assessment added, without detailing these protesters’ ideologies.

Detailed Account

It was also mentioned in the document that demonstrations due to the conflict in Gaza have caused disruptions on Capitol Hill with little to no prior warning, and that the fighting in Gaza may inspire extremists in the United States.

The document is structured in a manner that is reminiscent of the threat assessment that agencies distributed in 2021 prior to President Joe Biden's inauguration.

The documents illustrate the evolution of threats over the past four years, particularly in relation to Iran's threats against Trump and the tensions that have been exacerbated by the Gaza conflict.

Additionally, the 2025 assessment emphasizes novel concerns, including explosive hoaxes and swatting.