As US President Donald Trump he hands power to Joe Biden on Wednesday -- however reluctantly -- he also hands his successor a far more dangerous world than it was four years ago.

After four exhausting years of raging tweets, lies, "fire and fury" rants and orders for far-right extremists to "stand back and stand by," it's almost over.

Trump sparred with the likes of Twitter and Facebook despite his immense popularity on those platforms. His fiery rhetoric ultimately got him booted from them.

Guarded, silent, and rattled, photos show downtown Washington, D.C. as it experiences a presidential transition unlike any other in recent history.

A version of this article first appeared in the "Reliable Sources" newsletter.

The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, which will take place amid a devastating pandemic and war zone-like security levels, will look strikingly different from anything the nation has seen before. Close to 200,000 flags stand in the National Mall...