- In a report produced days before the deadly siege of the United States Capitol, Capitol Police intelligence warned that “Congress itself” could be the target of an attack by pro-Trump protesters.
- The January 3 report, obtained by The Washington Post, said that Trump supporters saw January 6 “as the last opportunity to overturn the presidential election results” and that this “feeling of despair and disappointment can lead to yet another incentive to become violent. “
- After the attack, the US Capitol Police was investigated for failing to prevent a violation of the Capitol building.
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In a report produced days before the deadly siege of the United States Capitol, Capitol Police intelligence warned that “Congress itself” could be the target of an attack by pro-Trump protesters.
“Supporters of the current president see January 6, 2021 as the last opportunity to overturn the results of the presidential election,” says part of the report, obtained by The Washington Post. “This sense of despair and disappointment can lead to a greater incentive to become violent.”
“Unlike previous post-election protests, the targets of pro-Trump supporters are not necessarily counter-protesters as they were before, but Congress itself is the target on the 6th,” says the report.
A Capitol Police spokesman did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Since a violent mob attacked the Capitol building, causing lawmakers to evacuate and leaving five people dead, the U.S. Capitol Police is being investigated for failing to prevent the violation.
Read More: There is a reckoning coming to the Congressional police force that has allowed the worst violation of the US Capitol since the British burnt down the building in 1814
The day after the attack, Mayor Nancy Pelosi called for the resignation of Steven Sund, the head of the Capitol Police. Sund announced his resignation hours later.
A Capitol Police officer told Ashley Collman of Insider that he and others expected to work on Wednesday due to planned protests, but were told to return home. Meanwhile, reports emerged that the police anticipated violence on Capitol Hill that day.
An FBI report, also obtained by the Post, warned of “war” on the United States Capitol the day before the insurrection took place.
The 12-page Capitol Police intelligence report warning of a threat to Congress was produced on January 3, three days before the attack.
The report clearly spells out the possibility of violence by President Donald Trump’s supporters on January 6, citing several protests that were scheduled to take place on Capitol Hill that day.
He noted that the “Stop the Steal” protest was promoted by the president himself and can attract thousands of people, with the presence of high-level speakers – including members of Congress.
“This, combined with Stop the Steal’s propensity to attract white supremacists, militia members and others who actively promote violence, can lead to a situation that is significantly dangerous for the police and the general public,” the report said.