CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Republican Gov. Chris Sununu will be sworn in for his third term Wednesday in a small, private ceremony shaped by concerns about both the coronavirus and potential violence.
The noon Statehouse ceremony, which will be attended by legislative leaders and streamed online, comes a day after a violent mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers were meeting to confirm Joe Biden’s presidential win. But Sununu’s decision to cancel a larger, outdoor inaugural was prompted in large part by events in his own backyard.
Opponents of restrictions imposed by Sununu during the coronavirus pandemic have been protesting outside his home in Newfields, where one was arrested last week carrying two dozen rounds of ammunition, Sununu said. On social media, some participants urged each other to bring weapons to future protests.
“It was not solely done because of the protesters at my home, although that was a very significant contributing factor,” Sununu said Tuesday. “There are other very direct threats that are made, unfortunately, and they’ve just simply been escalating.”
Sununu plans to deliver his inaugural address Thursday night at 7 p.m. Like the swearing-in, it will be streamed online.
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