Security arrangements for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration will not change because of recent terror attacks in Europe and the Middle East, the State Department said Tuesday.
Department spokesman John Kirby appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and told the hosts the security level for Jan. 20 is already high.
"There's always going to be a high level of interest in making sure that force protection is taken to be a very, very high priority during periods of transition, presidential transition, and that's nothing new," Kirby said.
"The interagency as well as local law enforcement are taking that seriously as we prepare for the inauguration, but periods of transition between presidential administrations have known some sort of testing by the international system of America's strength, willpower, and staying power, so we are all mindful of that."
At least 12 people were killed and nearly 50 were injured when a truck drove through crowds of people in Berlin Monday. Authorities suspect terrorism in the case, and the alleged driver is reportedly still on the loose.
The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed credit for the attack.
There was also a deadly attack in Jordan over the weekend.
Also on Monday, the Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was shot and killed in a brazen assassination at an art gallery.
"In terms of what is going on around the world, we are always vigilant, as you might expect, particularly this time of year," Kirby said.
The Daily Caller reported Monday that 13,000 members of the military will be on hand to assist with keeping the inauguration safe.
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