Government leaders and law enforcement officials announced new investigations on Friday over the security breaches that led to the attack on the Capitol last week, showing how pressure to protect Washington and other American cities is increasing amid growing threats from violent unrest from the right in front of the president – select the inauguration of Joseph R. Biden Jr. next week.
Capitol Police said they opened an investigation into whether members of Congress gave visitors access to the Capitol inappropriately prior to the building’s invasion, after several lawmakers raised concerns that their own colleagues might have allowed members of a pro crowd -Trump enter the days before the attack.
The new inquiry came to light when spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi announced on Friday that she had appointed Russel L. Honoré, a retired Army lieutenant general, to lead a Capitol security review after the turmoil.
And inspectors general from a number of federal agencies are opening a coordinated investigation into why the federal government was taken by surprise during the Jan. 6 siege and devising protocols to prevent such failures in the future.
States across the country are also on high alert. At least 19 states activated members of the National Guard to assist with security in their Capitol buildings on Saturday morning, said Wayne V. Hall, a spokesman for the National Guard Office in Arlington, Virginia. Several also plan to close the Capitol grounds at different points in the coming days.
In Washington, the National Park Service announced that the National Mall would be closed for a week. Thousands of National Guard members continue to invade the city, blocking streets and installing perimeters to protect next week’s ceremonies.
As the Biden government prepares to take the lead of a nation in turmoil, Vice President Mike Pence called Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Thursday to congratulate her and offer her late assistance, according to two officials. informed on the call, which was described as courteous and pleasant. It is another example of Mr. Pence filling a leadership role that President Trump almost abdicated.
Pence will also replace the president on the day of Biden’s inauguration – although it is traditional for the first families to enter and leave the White House on the morning of the inauguration, Trump said he will not meet Mr. Biden nor will he attend the ceremony. possession.
Instead, he is planning to take off from Andrews Joint Base before Biden takes office, in a relatively discreet conclusion to one of the most tumultuous terms in any president in history. But Trump hopes to leave to the sound of a military band, with red carpet and military honors, said those informed about the planning.
While Trump plans to leave after a second impeachment, Pelosi refused to provide an official timetable for his Senate trial. The case is likely to move forward even though Trump has already stepped down, with Democrats and some Republicans trying to stop him from taking public office again.
Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs contributed reports.