“In light of the attack on the Capitol and intelligence suggesting that more violence is likely during the inaugural period, my government reevaluated our posture for preparing for inauguration, including requesting the extension of DC National Guard support until January 24, 2021. “wrote Bowser in his letter to the president.
“I have determined that the plans and resources previously allocated to tenure are insufficient to establish a safe and secure environment as a direct result of the insurrectionist actions that took place on January 6. Based on recent events and intelligence assessments, we must prepare for large groups of trained and armed extremists to come to Washington, DC. “
“We are seeing … conversations by these white supremacists, these extreme right-wing extremists – they are encouraged right now,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks and fights hate. “We hope that this violence can get worse before it gets better.”
“I say that, given the events of the past week, this preparation for the inauguration has to be different from any other inauguration that is only 10 days away,” she explained during the interview.
Bowser finally evaluated in his letter to Trump that, despite the security resources that the city has, “significant preparedness gaps remain that cannot be remedied without this emergency declaration and direct federal assistance.”
In coordination with the federal government, she wrote, “we must take immediate and coordinated measures to increase the security posture in the Capital of the Nation to prevent an emergency situation during the inauguration”.
CNN’s Rob Kuznia, Curt Devine, Scott Bronstein and Bob Ortega contributed to this report.