The DC mayor and the governors of Maryland and Virginia are urging people to stay away from President-elect Joe Biden’s possession after the deadly attack on the Capitol on January 6 by supporters of President Trump.
As the mayor of DC and the governors of Maryland and Virginia prepared for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, they released a unified message to prospective participants Monday night.
“Due to the unique circumstances surrounding the 59th presidential inauguration, including last week’s violent uprising, as well as the continuing and deadly pandemic COVID-19, we are taking the extraordinary step of encouraging Americans not to come to Washington, DC, and instead participate virtually, ”says a joint statement by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.
Bowser, Hogan and Northam had a joint call on Monday afternoon to discuss planning for the inauguration next week, following the deadly January 6 attack on Capitol Hill by supporters of President Donald Trump.
“In these difficult times, January 6 was a dark time for our nation,” says the joint statement. “But we know that we are going to overcome this period because American ideals are stronger than an extreme ideology. Together, we will overcome extremism and return to the work of our residents ”.
On Monday afternoon, then Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said he had anticipated the time for the special national security event for Biden’s inauguration. It will start on Wednesday, instead of the original on January 19. He cited “events from last week”, along with an evolving security scenario. Later on Monday, he announced his resignation.
Earlier, Bowser called the Capitol uprising an “unprecedented terrorist attack” in a letter requesting additional security before January 20. She asked for a “pre-disaster declaration” for DC to allow federal assistance, which was approved on Monday.
Bowser cited “new threats from insurgent acts by domestic terrorists” and called for the security period surrounding the inauguration to be extended from Monday to January 24, and for the Capitol to be included in the perimeter.
She also thanked the police for their response to the January 6 attack. “They were called by many names in 2020. But today, our city correctly calls them heroes,” said Bowser.
Maryland and Virginia are helping to increase security.
Hogan said on Monday that officials there “are taking additional security measures here at the state house complex, both the Capitol Police and the Maryland State Police.”
Also in DC, Bowser requested that the National Park Service deny all Public Collection Authorizations on federal lands across the District in the days leading up to next Wednesday’s inauguration. National Park Service records show that two licenses have been granted so far.
The FBI issued a bulletin warning of plans for armed protests in all 50 state capitals and in DC in the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration.
Army General Daniel Hokanson, head of the National Guard Department, told reporters he is authorized to bring up to 15,000 members of the Guard, the Associated Press reported. At least 10,000 soldiers will be deployed in DC by Saturday, and an additional 5,000 may be requested from other states.
Trump issues emergency declaration for inaugural
President Donald Trump is issuing an emergency statement to the nation’s capital amid growing concern among local and federal officials about violence before and during President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
The statement allows the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate with local authorities as needed.
Trump’s statement came five days after a pro-Trump crowd stormed the Capitol when Congress formally counted the votes of the Electoral College to certify his defeat for Biden. Five people died.
Trump spent months complaining that he was duped in an election victory by widespread voter fraud, which election officials say does not exist.
Trump’s emergency declaration is in effect Monday through January 24th.
Count: ‘Stomach Disease’
Last week’s deadly attack on the Capitol by pro-Trump protesters left at least 56 DC police officers injured and made acting police chief Robert Contee “sick,” he said during a news conference on Monday.
“I have 56 police officers and they say they were injured in some way, shape or style,” said Contee. “Our officers were fighting, not just for their lives, but for this country’s democracy.”
“I talked to officers who made two trips to Iraq and said that this was more frightening for them than the time they spent in combat. I think that really speaks to the level of concern that we have as a city, as a government. “
Contee spoke specifically of a video showing an officer being crushed by the crowd at one of the Capitol doors.
“I get sick when I watch that video and that policeman obviously feared for his life,” said Contee.
A police officer who was beaten and shocked with a stun gun was discharged from the hospital and is “getting better” but is “very shaken, very shocked. Very angry, ”said Contee.
“These were people who were very determined to enter our Capitol building and really do some harm. And they did, ”said Contee of the troublemakers.
As investigations into the attack continue, former federal prosecutor Tim Heaphy said prosecutors could charge many protesters with manslaughter after the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died from injuries sustained during the insurrection.
A second US Capitol Police officer who responded to the disturbances last week died while on leave on Saturday, although the cause of death has not been officially announced. The Capitol Police union announced the death of Howard Liebengood, a 15-year veteran of the force, on Sunday.
Employers are also investigating whether their employees participated in the January 6 pro-Trump actions. Two off-duty police officers from Rocky Mount, Virginia, attended events and have since been placed on administrative leave, although officials have not specified their involvement.
An officer from the Anne Arundel County Police Department in Maryland was suspended with payment “pending an investigation into the official’s involvement in the United States Capitol,” officials said on Monday. It is not clear how the policeman was involved.
Also on Monday, a House resolution urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority to remove Trump from office was blocked by Republicans.
House Democrats are preparing this week to accuse Trump for the second time. Trump faces a single charge: “inciting insurrection”.
Teta Alim and Jack Moore of the WTOP, and The Associated Press, contributed to this report.