US Capitol Police said on Wednesday that it has learned of a "possible plot to breach the Capitol" by a militia group driven by a conspiracy theory suggesting former President Donald Trump would return to power on March 4.
With threat of US Capitol breach, House scraps Thursday session Updated Mar 04, 2021 | 06:17 IST
The warning was relayed by US Capitol Police, who said it was prompted by intelligence about an unnamed militia group. US Capitol | Photo Credit: AP, File Image
Washington s security posture has been bolstered after threats of a possible Thursday breach of the US Capitol, with the House of Representatives changing its voting plans to avoid gathering members on a day of potential unrest.
The warning was relayed Wednesday by US Capitol Police, who said it was prompted by intelligence about an unnamed militia group.
It follows online chatter from conspiracy-embracing extremists who believe March 4 is the day former president Donald Trump will return to Washington to be inaugurated for a second term.
The comments by Jill Sanborn, an FBI assistant director for intelligence, and Melissa Smislova, an acting undersecretary of DHS, represented the first public acknowledgement by top intelligence officials that neither agency saw the devastating attack coming.