State Dept. condemns arrests, repression in Russia

Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in what could be his last floor speech as majority leader, placed blame on Trump for inciting the mob of rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

"The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people," McConnell said from the Senate floor Tuesday.

His remarks come six days after the Democratic-led House impeached Trump on one charge of "incitement of insurrection" and after McConnell indicated he was weighing whether to vote to convict Trump.

McConnell also affirmed that Biden and Harris will be sworn into office Wednesday and urged a bipartisan path forward.

"Americans elected a closely divided Senate, a closely divided House and a presidential candidate who said he'd represent everyone. So our marching orders from the American people are clear," McConnell said.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

After his final night at home before his inauguration as the 46th president of the United States, Biden is wishing Wilmington, Delaware, farewell in afternoon remarks at a "send-off event" before he heads to Washington, D.C., Tuesday afternoon.

Biden will no longer be taking an Amtrak trip from Wilmington to Washington, as he was accustomed to doing as Delaware senator, due to security concerns.

Vice President Mike Pence arrived at the White House for his last full day in office on Tuesday morning around 11 a.m.

Pence will be leading his final White House coronavirus task force meeting at 2 p.m., according to his public schedule.

Trump and Pence met at the White House last Monday for 90 minutes, their first time speaking after the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.

-ABC News' Elizabeth Thomas

A defense official confirms that vetting conducted by the FBI determined two Army National Guard members have ties to far-right groups and that they have been removed from the inauguration security mission. They are currently under investigation. 

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told NBC News Tuesday morning, “We don’t allow extremism of any type in our organization.”

At least 21,500 National Guardsmen are in Washington, D.C., the D.C. Guard confirmed to ABC News on Monday, with the preparations coming ahead of Biden’s inauguration and in the aftermath of the deadly Capitol raid conducted by Trump supporters earlier this month. 

The ramp-up in the number of Guardsmen in the nation's capital means there could be four times as many American military service members in the city than there are in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

The Department of Defense is referring questions to the Secret Service.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez and Matt Seyler