DARK DAY OR JOYOUS CELEBRATION; Richard Pollock surveys the multiple groups on the Left planning demonstrations and disruptions for the Trump inaugural. Even before the weather went south, Pollock found evidence that the organizers of the protests knew turnout could be a problem.

But hanging over the whole event is the question of national security, as Pollock explains:

“The question dogging national security officials is the fear there are sleeper cells inside the city designed to assassinate Trump. As was reported by CNN in mid-November, ‘According to court documents, Iranian officials asked Farhad Shakeri, 51, in September to focus on surveilling and ultimately assassinating Trump. Shakeri is still at large in Iran, the Justice Department said.’

“Officials are concerned there could be a New Orleans copycat where a convert to Islam drove a car into revelers on New Year’s eve, killing 15 and wounding more than 30. This could be a celebratory weekend or a dark one. Stay tuned.”

Pollock’s column was filed before Trump announced the swearing-in will be inside the Capitol rather than outside due to weather. Even so, Pollock shows the national security concerns are immense and immediate.