The House of Representatives canceled all scheduled votes for Thursday and Democrats are sending lawmakers home early due to an alleged “plot to seize the (Capitol) complex on or around March 4.”
U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) have increased security around the complex in addition to the thousands of National Guard troops still stationed there.
“We have obtained intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday, March 4,” USCP said in a statement.
The ‘plot’ surrounds a wild Qanon conspiracy theory that former President Donald Trump will take power again on March 4th, returning to D.C. to be inaugurated once again.
It has purportedly been dubbed “real Inauguration Day” by the group.
House hustles to get members out of DC ahead of potential security threat tomorrow. https://t.co/GA3uJPXyRI
— Ben White (@morningmoneyben) March 3, 2021
RELATED: National Guard Members Sickened After Being Served Undercooked Food While Guarding Capitol
Democrats Fleeing An Alleged Plot At The Capitol
Politico reports that while many lawmakers and aides “are skeptical that the groups could inflict real damage,” there are still some members “shaken” from the violence they witnessed at the riot on January 6th.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), for example, told an elaborate story about the day of the riot saying she hid in her office bathroom in the Cannon House Office Building to remain safe from the protests outside of the Capitol building.
“I thought I was going to die,” she said, emotionally recalling the events she experienced. “I have never been quieter in my entire life.”
“If this was the journey that my life was taking, that I felt that things were going to be OK,” AOC recalled, wiping tears from her eyes. “I had fulfilled my purpose.”
.@AOC describes a Capitol Police officer bursting into her office, says his presence “didn’t feel right” and that he was looking at her “in all of this anger and hostility.” Her staffer reportedly wondered if he would have to fight the officer. pic.twitter.com/LCj2JmmFP6
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 2, 2021
Fleeing the city in the face of an alleged plot by Qanon seems like a bit of overkill.
Just like stationing 25,000 National Guard troops outside President Biden’s inauguration. Just like fortifying the grounds with razor wire fencing. Just like setting up checkpoints manned by National Guard troops.
But that’s just my opinion.
News–> On chatter about another possible attack on the Capitol tomorrow — moments ago on @TheLeadCNN @RepMcCaul told @jaketapper “President Trump has a responsibility to tell them to stand down. This threat is credible. It’s real. It’s a right-wing militia group”
— Kristin Donnelly (@kristindonnelly) March 3, 2021
Is The Threat Realistic?
During an appearance on “Good Morning America” earlier this week, former First Lady Michelle Obama conveyed the Democrats’ fear that griped them on inauguration day.
“I think everyone was concerned about more riots, but we were assured that things were under control,” Obama said. “When you see fellow Americans storming the Capitol, that sits with you. That reality was with us on that stage.”
As Marsha from the Brady Bunch might say, ‘Sure, Jan.’
Leading up to Biden’s inaugural address, National Guard troops were vetted for ‘extremist’ views despite there being “no intelligence indicating an insider threat” to the event.
There has been no ongoing violence since January 6th. Nary an incident.
Suffice it to say some people on social media are just a tad skeptical of the ‘plot’ that led House Democrats to flee the Capitol.
Great excuse to get outta work, gotta remember that one pic.twitter.com/Vx0ACOudn9
— lazy river (@newplasticbags) March 3, 2021
— Cgs (@Cgshall) March 3, 2021
Ok, so why have the national guard there for weeks now If the politicians are just going to hide?
— their soul is hidden from you (@FreeTreeBark100) March 4, 2021
Still, Republican Representative Michael McCaul went on CNN and told host Jake Tapper that it is Trump’s responsibility to tell the supposed plotters to stand down.
“President Trump has a responsibility to tell them to stand down. This threat is credible. It’s real. It’s a right-wing militia group,” he said.
Oddly enough, members of the Senate are not following the House out of town, as the Daily Mail reports they are “scheduled to be in session and expected to hold a vote-a-rama.”
Jared Holt, a visiting research fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab, told The Hill, “We haven’t seen anything to suggest that there’s any physical, real-world mobilization behind that chatter.”
Also in The Hill piece is this: “Even if some QAnon supporters still think that Trump will reassume office, there’s little to suggest they will act on that belief.”
Why?
A memo from the top security official overseeing the House shared with lawmakers this week echoes that the significance of March 4 has “reportedly declined amongst various groups in recent days.”
Capitol Police at this time “has no indication that groups will travel to Washington D.C. to protest or commit acts of violence,” acting Sergeant-at-Arms Timothy Blodgett said in the memo.
Interesting.
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #16 on Feedspot’s “Top 70 Conservative Political Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2021.”