TRUMP SWEARING-IN | Room for inaugural spectators on National Mall

WASHINGTON (AP) — Crowds on the National Mall – where people without tickets can watch the inauguration – are growing steadily.

But less than two hours before the swearing-in, there are still wide swaths of empty space. There are strong suggestions that the crowds will not match President Barack Obama's first inaugural eight years ago.

Some people were prevented by security barriers from getting closer to the Capitol despite having plenty of space in front of them.

The grass on the Mall was protected by white plastic and there were some muddy spots amid intermittent rain.