Police uncover possible plot by militia to breach Capitol
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Capitol Police said Wednesday that they have information regarding a possible plot by a militant group to breach the Capitol on Thursday, a date that some followers of the QAnon extremist ideology falsely claim will mark former president Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
The department declined to name the militia group or provide details, citing the “sensitive nature” of the information. In a statement, the department said it is “prepared for any potential threats.”
In response, the House canceled a scheduled Thursday session. The Senate, considering President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill, planned to remain in session Thursday. Members and staff were encouraged to take precautions such as parking in underground garages.
“We have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers,” police said in the statement.
Melissa Smislova, the acting undersecretary of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis in the Department of Homeland Security, said Wednesday that her agency, with the FBI, issued a bulletin very late Tuesday night or very early Wednesday morning about “extremists discussing March 4 and March 6.”
March 4, the original Inauguration Day before the passage of the 20th Amendment in 1932, is the date that some on the far right have come to believe — wrongly — that Mr. Trump will again rise to power. An FBI official told The Washington Post last week that leaders were aware of the QAnon chatter surrounding March 4 but said, “We don’t have any indication of violence or a specific, credible plot at this time.”
At a hearing Wednesday, Defense Department leaders placed unusual restrictions on the National Guard for the day of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and delayed sending help despite an urgent plea from police for reinforcement, according to testimony that added to the finger-pointing about the government response.
Maj. Gen. William Walker, commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, told senators that the then-chief of the Capitol Police requested military support in a “voice cracking with emotion” in a 1:49 p.m. call as rioters began pushing toward the Capitol.Maj. Gen. Walker said he immediately relayed the request to the Army but did not learn of the Defense Department’s approval until 5:08 p.m.. Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were rushed to the Capitol, arriving in 18 minutes, he said.
The hourslong delay cost the National Guard precious minutes in the early hours of the rioting, with Maj. Gen. Walker saying he could have gotten personnel into the building within 20 minutes of getting approval. As it stood, the support did not happen until the evening.
A senior Pentagon official who testified, Robert Salesses, said it took time for the Army to sort out what the National Guard was being asked to do. Mindful of criticism that the response to the racial justice demonstrations last spring was heavy-handed, military officials were also concerned about the optics of a substantial National Guard presence at the Capitol, and that such visuals could inflame the rioters, Maj. Gen. Walker said.