Washington is a city on the edge. Concrete barriers, unclimbable steel fences, and security checkpoints dot the map. In a climate of explosive political violence and a divisive campaign, Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts before returning to an anxious capital where more than nine in 10 voters backed him Opponent Kamala Harris. A city steeped in tradition and ritual will seek to accommodate a least traditional president, putting thousands of Trump supporters in direct contact with residents who feel foreboding and fearful.

Trump will be sworn in under the majestic dome of the Capitol Rotunda on Monday, upending months of carefully planned massive outdoor events with crowds gathering on the National Mall as severe cold weather is expected. The last time the swearing-in ceremony was moved indoors was in 1985, when Ronald Reagan began his second term. The rotunda was one of the areas invaded by Trump supporters during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection as they sought to prevent certification of his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.

We asked photographer Jordan Gale to document the preparations for the 60th Presidential Inauguration, and he captured these vivid images that reflect a nation balanced and polarized between hope and fear. ——David Smith

The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., Thursday, January 16, 2025.

Attendees watch the People's March on Washington, D.C., on Saturday, January 18, 2025.

National Guard troops wait outside Trump's victory rally.

On Friday, January 17, 2025, a man was on a local bus route in Washington, DC.

A couple celebrates at the Georgia Association Peace Tree Ball on Saturday, January 18, 2025, in Washington, DC.

On Friday, January 17, 2025, an employee received a call at the Rayburn House office building in Washington, DC.

Waiting at the bar during the Georgia Association Peace Tree Dance.

A woman takes shelter from the rain outside Trump's victory rally.

Trump supporters wear capes outside a Trump victory rally at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, on Sunday, January 19, 2025.

A person is escorted off Union State University property during the Georgia State Association Peace Tree Ball on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Participants in the People's March on Washington, D.C., Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.

Friday, January 17, 2025, in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

Attendees at the Maga Maha Cryptocurrency Inaugural Ball at the MGM Grand in National Harbor, Maryland, Sunday, January 19, 2025.

A man smokes a cigarette during a Trump victory rally at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, on Sunday, January 19, 2025.