A threat against the Capitol that led the leadership of the House of Representatives to cancel Thursday’s sitting did not materialize.
Police in the Capitol on Wednesday warned that they were acquiring intelligence “on Thursday, March 4” showing a possible conspiracy to violate the Capitol by an unidentified militia group. The finding was reiterated by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the leading Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, who told CNN on Wednesday that “President Trump has a responsibility to tell them to stand up. This threat is credible. It really is. This is a right-wing militia group. ”
Rep. Michael McCaul says Mr. Pres. Trump has the responsibility to say that extremists, who believe Trump will be inaugurated on March 4, and who, according to the FBI, are planning a possible attack on the American Capitol. “This threat is credible. It really is. “Https://t.co/txZq2tbwMH pic.twitter.com/n4X4WbwTIo
– The Chief CNN (@TheLeadCNN) March 3, 2021
Trump did not tell anyone to resign, but fortunately everything was quiet around the Capitol on Thursday, where the Senate began debating the $ 1.9 billion Covid-19 emergency relief bill despite the House decision to to close for the day.
March 4 is an important date in QAnon – a cultic, disturbed conspiracy theory whose supporters believe that Donald Trump is secretly fighting a global cabal sex trade led by leading Democrats. Nicole Narea of Vox explains the capture of the theory with March 4 in all its intricate details, but in short: some believers believed that March 4, which was the date presidents were inaugurated until the 20th amendment was adopted in 1933, be when Trump would be inaugurated for another term. The Trump International Hotel, located just a short distance from the White House, even tried to capitalize on the conspiracy theory by raising room rates for the date.
But Jared Holt told Vox that he “did not find any of the usual reports we tend to see when online extremism is about to translate into a real mobilization before March 4.” Holt is a resident at DFRLab who focuses on domestic extremism; he is correct warned in the days before the January 6 uprising over internet chats suggesting Trump demonstrations could get the day out of control.
“In recent days, many extremist influencers and communities even on that date have actively discouraged participating in any prospective actions,” Holt continued in a direct message from Twitter. “Although large-scale mobilization was incredibly unlikely by standard measures, there was a persistent risk posed by small groups or individuals who may feel compelled to act according to their extremist beliefs.”
Holt noted that although the House’s decision to close for the day and all the security measures around the Capitol ‘looks like excessive appearance’, the January 6 uprising, which left five dead, ‘is still incredibly fresh for law enforcement’s. and I’M not surprised that officials act with an abundance of caution. ‘
In fact, law enforcement officials seemed to be trying to repeat what happened on January 6, when numerous intelligence memos warned of the threat of violence from Trump supporters gathered in Washington, DC, to hold the election on the day argument. sufficient to prevent law enforcement from being overwhelmed by the MAGA mob.
While law enforcement officials are extra cautious these days, the Republicans who inflicted the uprising by spreading lies about the 2020 election are not. On Thursday, Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) – who both supported Trump’s attempts to overthrow the election – continued Fox & Friends and argues that, despite the active threat at the Capitol, they see no need for the continued presence of the National Guard.
‘I think the idea to keep [the National Guard] there for an indefinite time, and to put a barbed wire fence around the Capitol indefinitely is crazy, ”Hawley said.
On the day the house is closed due to the threat of violence, Senator Josh Hawley, the pro-insurgency, strikes against the National Guard troops stationed at the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/LIjTKmzbFU
– Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 4, 2021
But if Trump-backed Republicans really wanted to reopen the Capitol, the best thing they could do was expose the lies and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election that still inspire disturbed Trump supporters to take matters into their own hands. try to take. Instead of doing so, however, the Republican Party remains largely united behind the false notion that Joe Biden’s victory is tainted.
While Republicans like Hawley and Waltz see no need for the continued presence of the National Guard at the Capitol, Capitol police disagree. The force allegedly requested Thursday that the National Guard stay at the Capitol for at least another two months, citing ongoing security issues. The request comes a day after a hearing in the House, where Yogananda Pittman, acting chief of the Capitol police, told lawmakers that threats against lawmakers have increased nearly 100 percent year-on-year.