Capitol security officials are warning lawmakers that thousands of extremist supporters of President Trump are planning to try to storm the Capitol ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Lawmakers were told of four specific armed threats against the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court during a call late Monday night, according to a source familiar with the discussion.
The warnings come less than a week after a mob of Trump supporters succeeded in breaching the Capitol building, interrupting the counting of Electoral College votes and sending lawmakers, staff and journalists scrambling for safety.
Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) said during an interview Tuesday on CNN’s “New Day” that one of the plots involved pro-Trump radicals trying to surround the Capitol to prevent any Democrat from entering.
“They were talking about 4,000 armed ‘patriots’ to surround the Capitol and prevent any Democrat from going in,” Lamb said. “They have published rules of engagement, meaning when you shoot and when you don’t. So this is an organized group that has a plan. They are committed to doing what they’re doing because I think in their minds, you know, they are patriots and they’re talking about 1776 and so this is now a contest of wills.”
“We are not negotiating with or reasoning with these people. They have to be prosecuted. They have to be stopped. And unfortunately, that includes the President, which is why he needs to be impeached and removed from office,” Lamb added.
Lawmakers were already shaken after their lives were in danger during last week’s insurrection. And now, they’re even more fearful after security officials informed them of additional threats.
“It was horrifying, the most chilling hour imaginable, but I don’t want to say anything more,” said one House Democrat who participated in the phone call.
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JUST IN: Capitol security officials are warning lawmakers that thousands of extremist supporters of President Trump are planning to try to storm the Capitol ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. https://t.co/tKETSuxUDM
— The Hill (@thehill) January 12, 2021
He won't resign. Remove him before Jan 20. Mess up the planning of the terrorists, who will want to try to react to everything. Take the initiative and defend democracy. Remove Trump. Proceed with the inauguration. https://t.co/jxayrIssmA
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 12, 2021
Armed groups plotting against the inauguration and statehouses are propelled by the myth that the election was stolen, and that they're acting in support of Trump.
It is on Republicans in Congress and Trump's circle to immediately and clearly reverse the lies about the election. https://t.co/ztIrANQWtj
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) January 12, 2021
Well, I just hope law enforcement is better prepared for the next week.
And no — neither Trump nor the Republicans will retract anything they said about the election being “stolen.” Even if they did, the cult will go ahead with whatever mayhem they have planned. Trump has whipped them up to the point where there is no going back and the cult will proceed because it wants to please its leader.
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