The coronavirus pandemic and security concerns are keeping the public out of the National Mall where hundreds of thousands of people would usually gather to watch the presidential transfer of power.
But, there are still some people who thought it was important to make the trip to the nation's capital anyway.
Some who traveled to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration were looking forward to the swearing-in of Kamala Harris as the first woman and the first Black woman to assume the office of vice president.
"It’s important to stand up for what you believe in," Raelyn Maxwell of Utah said. "The most disenfranchised people in this country, the Black woman, saved our democracy."
At the National Mall, there are 200,000 flags representing the Americans who would have been at the inauguration in person had it not been for the pandemic and the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month.
Though the Sigmond family from Florida won't be able to get close to the ceremony, they wanted to be in Washington, D.C., for the historic moment.
"We do have a right to be here and it was almost taken away from us, so we’re going to make the best out of the situation we can," Steven Sigmond said.
In particular, they wanted their 14-year-old daughter to watch Harris take the oath of office.
"That’s the big deal," Linda Sigmond said. "It shows little girls that they can do anything no matter who you are."
