President Clinton was only minutes away from Parliament Buildings and inside overwhelmed Stormont officials were taking no chances.
Staff and journalists who waited at the windows to see the presidential motorcade sweep up the hill to the building were told to move.
Apparently, somebody had decided that having people looking out the windows looked rather "untidy". The US motorcade, when it arrived at Stormont, was impressive.
Around 40 vehicles drove into Stormont. RUC men with alsatians toured the grounds. Marksmen were perched on the roof.
Any threat to the presidential visit, however, came from anti agreement unionists, not terrorist assassins.
President Clinton was to meet all the Assembly members when he arrived in the Great Hall and the pro-agreement parties feared an enemy protest. Indeed, so worried were Messrs Trimble and Mallon that attempts were made to restrict press access to the event.
The Assembly's business committee voted twice unanimously to allow the cameras in but it was reconvened by the First and Deputy First Ministers at 8.45 a.m. to discuss the matter again.
"It's a bit like the US presidential election. Some people want to keep counting until they get the result they want," quipped a DUP wag. The DUP discussed tactics over in the canteen. "We're all wearing `America Out' T-shirts under these innocuous-looking suits," said one Assembly member. In the end, the DUP made their point to President Clinton, but in a gentlemanly fashion. Peter Robinson and Ian Paisley jnr sported "Bush/Cheney" stickers but kept them well hidden under their lapels.
Assembly members from other parties giggled and chatted like schoolchildren as they awaited the President. Most were far more elegantly turned out than usual.
The President of the US (or POTUS as the Secret Service called him) went around the Great Hall in a clockwise direction while Mr Tony Blair did the reverse. But, for once, the British Prime Minister was very much the bit player.
The Women's Coalition got President Clinton's autograph. Sinn Fein members queued to be photographed with him - Gerry Kelly being the party's David Bailey. The Shinners were on their best behaviour for their American visitors.
Gerry Adams put his arm around Senator George Mitchell as if he was about to start a slow dance. President Clinton signed the Stormont visitors' book, following in the steps of Michael Flatley and the Ulster rugby team.
The Assembly speaker, Lord Alderdice, presented him with a linen-bound copy of Jonathon Bardon's A History of Ulster.
Afterwards the President held a brief press conference. He was questioned about the US Supreme Court decision, the "Real IRA", and the future of the peace process.
His answers consisted of just a sentence or two. Regarding the US election he said he had not read the judgment and therefore did not want to comment on it.
Asked if there would be a banning of fundraising by the "Real IRA", he said "well we've got this whole subject under review as part of our ongoing look at people who use violence for political or other means, not just here but throughout the world."
His entire visit to Stormont lacked fizz but that didn't stop most local politicians - except the anti-agreement unionists - from enjoying it.