FBI Director Chris Wray said on Thursday that the bureau is seeing “a lot of worrying online conversations” about potentially violent events surrounding the inauguration of the elected president next week. Joe Biden
Joe BidenCotton: The Senate lacks the authority to hold the impeachment trial when Trump leaves office Marjorie Taylor Greene says he will present impeachment articles against Biden ICE that the incumbent director resigns weeks after taking office MORE.
“We are currently monitoring calls for possible armed protests and activities leading up to inauguration,” Wray said in an interview with Vice President Pence at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, DC
“And the reason I use the word potential is because one of the real challenges in this space is trying to distinguish what is aspirational from what is intentional,” continued Wray. “We are concerned about the potential for violence in several protests and rallies planned here in DC and in state capital buildings across the country in the days to come, which could bring armed individuals close to government buildings and officials.”
Wray’s comments were made after the January 6 rebellion at the United States Capitol, where Trump supporters stormed the building while a joint session of Congress met to certify electoral votes confirming Biden as the next president. Numerous people were injured in the chaos and several people died, including a Capitol police officer.
Pence opened Thursday’s FEMA briefing by assuring the public that Biden’s tenure would be secure, despite heightened security concerns after the Capitol riots. Pence is expected to attend the inauguration ceremony, but President Trump
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“We all lived through that January 6 day,” said Pence. “And, as the president made clear yesterday, we are committed to an orderly transition and secure tenure, and the American people deserve nothing less.”
Biden was informed by the FBI and the Secret Service on Wednesday of potential threats to the security of his possession, his transition team said. Lawmakers were briefed earlier this week on four armed threats against the Capitol, the White House and the Supreme Court. A Democrat described it as “the scariest hour imaginable”.
Authorities expressed confidence in the ability to keep Wednesday’s possession secure. In the days following the disturbances, fences were erected around the Capitol building and the Supreme Court, and members of the National Guard were stationed on the Capitol.
Secret Service Director James Murray told Pence that his agency and its partners have been planning the opening for more than nine months.
“We are highly confident in our security plan, but we are always wide-eyed and sober to try to capitalize on the lessons learned,” said Murray of the reflection on last week’s Capitol violation.
Biden’s ownership was already expected to be reduced due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Biden said he would still take the oath of office outside the Capitol building, despite the latest security concerns, although he canceled previous plans to reach Washington, DC, via Amtrak.
Trump, who is due to leave the day before his inauguration for Florida, was impeached on Wednesday on charges of inciting violence against the government. Lawmakers cited his false allegations about the election, as well as his comments to supporters on the day of the riots, in which he urged them to walk to the Capitol and fight for the certification process.
The president issued a long video message a week after the confusion, repudiating the violence and calling for national unity, although he has yet to recognize that Biden won the election fairly.