Inside the Capitol, many lawmakers and advisers are skeptical that the groups could inflict real damage, as the terrain was heavily fortified after the January 6 uprising. The barbed wire fence still surrounds much of the Capitol area, and members and staff must enter through checkpoints operated by armed National Guard troops.
However, Congressional leaders say they will heed the security warnings, with members still shaken by the violence that many of them witnessed two months ago. Part of the security presence, particularly the National Guard, appears to have declined in recent weeks, although new, more stringent procedures – such as metal detectors in the Chamber’s chambers – remain in place.
In a letter to members on Wednesday, the House’s arms sergeant said the Capitol Police “received new and worrying information and intelligence”, suggesting a new threat to the Capitol from March 4-6 “by a militia group. “.
Some lawmakers said they were actually more concerned with being targeted at the airport or while traveling to and from their districts than from their Capitol offices. Capitol security officials have indicated that they plan to tighten security for lawmakers in transit, recognizing that many have been targeted in recent months when they were away from the building.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security released a joint intelligence bulletin to state and local police officers Tuesday night, warning of potential violence on Capitol Hill on March 4. The document, obtained by POLITICO, said the FBI learned that a militia group was discussing a plan in late February to persuade “thousands” to travel to Washington on that date and “take control of the US Capitol and remove Democratic lawmakers” .
The bulletin explained that some domestic violent extremists “motivated by the QAnon conspiracy theory” could be mobilized for action because they believe Trump will be inaugurated on March 4 or will return to power on May 20 with the help of the U.S. military.
“Continuous [domestic violent extremist] perceptions of electoral fraud and other conspiracy theories associated with the presidential transition can contribute to DVEs mobilizing for violence with little or no warning, ”the document warned. Many Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol on January 6 were directly motivated by Trump’s repeated allegations of a stolen election, and the bulletin said that extremists can be “encouraged” by the building’s successful breach that day.
Trump reiterated his false claim that the election was stolen during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sunday, and intelligence officials said at a Senate hearing on Wednesday that the perpetuation of the false election narrative contributed to their concerns. about future violence. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas) urged Trump to directly cancel the extremists who support him.
“President Trump has a responsibility to tell them to leave,” McCaul told CNN.
FBI Director Chris Wray testified earlier this week that the FBI currently has about 2,000 active cases of domestic terrorism and characterized extreme right-wing extremists as “the most significant domestic terrorism threat” the country now faces.
Capitol Chief of Police Yogananda Pittman last week also told lawmakers about a Capitol-related threat during the State of the Union speech, which has yet to be scheduled. Although she did not describe the basis for the threat, she said it involved “militia groups that were present on January 6,” who “declared their desire to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible”.
The action could last until late in the House – the House was already expected to vote on the Democrats’ voting rights and the anti-corruption bill. Now, the House will also consider the Democrats’ police reform legislation, originally scheduled for voting on Thursday. Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, each vote normally lasts 45 minutes to an hour.
Brian Harrell, the former assistant secretary of infrastructure for DHS, said he did not anticipate any successful attack on the Capitol, as it is “currently fortified as a military facility”. But he said that “all threats must be taken seriously and investigations must be initiated against those who cry out for violence. We continue to see extreme right-wing extremist groups that are fueled by misinformation and conspiracy theories quickly becoming the most dangerous threat to society. “