As I’ve said here and on the podcast, the one silver lining to the January 6th insurrection is that Washington and state capitals around the country got ready in a hurry for additional terrorist attacks. DC is basically in a state of lockdown, with at least 20,000 National Guardsmen on the ground, manning barricades and keeping out the riff-raff. People are being discouraged from even traveling to DC this week for the inauguration. The Capitol building is full of cops and soldiers. As the Times points out, while there’s still domestic terrorist chatter, very few people are actually turning up in DC or other state capitals now. I feel confident, maybe stupidly so, that there will not be another terrorist attack ahead of the inauguration or on the day of the inauguration. Now, after January 20th… well.
As for those National Guardsmen occupying DC and at least 17 other state capitals… of course there are concerns. Once we learned the identities of some of the terrorists laying siege to the Capitol on Jan. 6th, we saw the extent of it – there were off-duty cops from other jurisdictions, firemen, businessmen, veterans and active-duty military, pillars of the community, etc. There were also people within the Capitol Police helping the terrorists and further endangering Congresspeople. I’m not saying all Capitol Police – obviously, there were many brave and good police officers that day. But there were many cops who wished they were terrorizing the Capitol too. And so now we have to ask: is it the same with those in the military now tasked with protecting the Capitol and protecting President Biden?
U.S. defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event.
The massive undertaking reflects the extraordinary security concerns that have gripped Washington following the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump rioters. And it underscores fears that some of the very people assigned to protect the city over the next several days could present a threat to the incoming president and other VIPs in attendance.
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told The Associated Press on Sunday that officials are conscious of the potential threat, and he warned commanders to be on the lookout for any problems within their ranks as the inauguration approaches. So far, however, he and other leaders say they have seen no evidence of any threats, and officials said the vetting hadn’t flagged any issues that they were aware of.
”We’re continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy said in an interview after he and other military leaders went through an exhaustive, three-hour security drill in preparation for Wednesday’s inauguration. He said Guard members are also getting training on how to identify potential insider threats.
About 25,000 members of the National Guard are streaming into Washington from across the country — at least two and a half times the number for previous inaugurals. And while the military routinely reviews service members for extremist connections, the FBI screening is in addition to any previous monitoring. Multiple officials said the process began as the first Guard troops began deploying to D.C. more than a week ago. And they said it is slated to be complete by Wednesday. Several officials discussed military planning on condition of anonymity.
“The question is, is that all of them? Are there others?” said McCarthy. “We need to be conscious of it and we need to put all of the mechanisms in place to thoroughly vet these men and women who would support any operations like this.”
True story: I was today years old when I learned that the Secret Service is in charge of inauguration security, meaning they’re the ones commanding and coordinating Capitol Police, National Guard, FBI, DC Police and US Park Police. While I understand why Secret Service is in charge, I also feel like… all of these agencies and military branches need to look within. One of the most enraging parts of the January 6th insurrection was the fact that Capitol Police willfully refused to listen to intelligence from other agencies, and willfully sought to react with mass incompetence during and after the attack. The Capitol Police have been infiltrated by white nationalists. So have other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DC Police, and maybe even the Secret Service.
So… yeah, I find it depressing that these National Guardsmen are being vetted so heavily, but it’s necessary. It should also be necessary that other agencies are likewise vetted to this extreme. Here’s one good question to ask during the vetting process: “Was the 2020 election stolen?” I’m gonna need every person with a badge and a gun to answer that question.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
I also find this profoundly depressing. The start of the Biden/Harris term should be joyous but instead it’s fraught with fear and the outrageous lies the our ongoing POTUS and his minions are continuing to sow. My friend said she feels like it will be a miracle if Biden and Harris survive with their lives in this current environment. I remember feeling worried about attempts on Obama’s life back when he was first elected but this feels like a million times worse. It’s happening out in the open.
I struggled through more than 4 years of a nightmare, was THRILLED to be getting Biden & Harris, and now I can’t enjoy their inauguration because we’re terrified loonies are going to go after them. It IS depressing!
These seditious idiots also stole the attention that should rightfully have gone to the victors in the Georgia senate runoffs. It infuriates me that screaming, selfish destructive toddlers take the focus from the good kids in the room.
@HoofRat I agree. Jan 6 I got up, checked the news, did a happy dance, and started preparing a menu for a little victory dinner. We had grilled shrimp, spicy mac n’ cheese, greens, and a peach pie. Instead of celebrating we ate glued to the TV wondering if we were watching the overthrow of our government. I don’t think I tasted anything. I feel for Warnock and Ossoff. They were robbed of their rightful celebration of their historic wins.
I too feel like we will get through the inauguration just fine but they will need to remain extra vigilant and vet the fuck out of EVERY government employee. I feel like everyone hired since Trump came into office needs to go through security clearance AGAIN and include checking their social media presence as well.
And they need to purge all government protective forces of white supremacists and Trump loyalists.
I find myself wishing that the ceremony would be held indoors instead of outside, I think that securing an inside venue would be easier and more effective.
Same here! I keep worrying about a sniper on a rooftop, or some other scenario out of a blockbuster action movie.
Oh, there’ll be snipers on the roof but they’ll be guarding the new POTUS, so there won’t be any room up there for trumpies.
Now let’s imagine the security surrounding whichever of Trump’s trials comes up first.
We are making progress.
My aunt is a staunch democrat, but she has signed up to read news and chatter on sites like Parler just so she can understand a side of her family that is deeply pro-Trump.
She told me yesterday that there’s been so much talk of assassinating Biden and then Kamala. Very matter of factly, discussing and planning in open. It gave me chills. I’m afraid for their safety.
Honestly 25,000 troops doesn’t give me a lot of confidence, if they’re Trump supporters. A lot of military folks I know are. I would dearly hope they serve their country more than that man, but this is a crazy time.
I’m a bit fearful about this week. I really hope it goes smoothly. And I’m really sad that Biden has worked his whole life to ascend to this leadership role and every step since he won this election has been marred by Trump and his legion. He can’t even celebrate his inauguration! Not even counting the pandemic!
How are they getting away with that? I thought the Secret Service takes threats seriously. This country is insane.
Sadly, it seems more and more likely that there will be an assassination attempt, if not at the inauguration, sometime during his 4-year term. The only good thing about Parler is that all the crazies are in one place, so it should be easy for the FBI and Secret Service to spot the threats.
The good thing is that they’re FORCED to take security more serious. Congress is, law enforcement is.
And Biden is the type of POTUS you want to have a professional review.
A TV pundit said, “Biden will sign the most progressive bill Congress sends him” and the same applies to being tough about security.
He’s a centrist but when it’s clear what has to be done, he’s bold and strong.
I’m glad that extra precautions are being taken. From the pictures I’ve seen from the news and accounts from people who live in DC, it’s practically shut down, bordered up and security is everywhere. So hopefully the inauguration and the subsequent days go without a hitch.
My baby brother is in the Guard in MD and got called up this month to administer COVID vaccine at stadiums. My family was terrified he would be called to DC for the Biden Inauguration and there would be more violence. So far, he’s staying in MD giving vaccines.
Arrest every single one of these idiots. Maybe prison sentences, losing their jobs and high fines will deprogram them. I don’t care what happens to them anymore.
We have a family friend whose husband was one of the first on the ground in Iraq, leaving her to constantly fear becoming a single mother to a little boy should the unthinkable happen. Now that “little boy” is in the NG, and she and her husband are fretting over the worst happening to him IN HIS OWN COUNTRY. It’s almost surreal.
Whether on Inauguration or vaccine duty, I hope your brother and all the Guardsmen stay safe.
I do feel bad for Biden & Kamala, Trump & his big ego, hateful insurrectionist ways constant lying & disinformation & most biggest racist we’ve seen have cost them their day. Plus, he wants a statesman reception leaving out the WH & rally in Florida – NO! All media need to stop giving him air time he’s a disgrace, twice impeached criminal. All those supporters of him who broke the law maximum sentence no special organic foods, treatment or forgiveness. We’ve endured enough and they need to know they like Trump are not above the law all their assets like his need to be seized and distributed to Covid relief and aide Americans. That’s my stance and all the GOP connected to it EXPELLED for life!
I do not feel sorry for either Biden or Harris. History calls them to greatness, and they will either meet the moment, or not. I pray they do. This moment in time is not about their moment or parties or celebrations. I believe they both know this.
Excellent point, but the parties and celebrations are for the people who supported the, as well. It would have been so nice to give their supporters a few hours of joy after all these years of unmitigated horror.
I agree Darla. Now is not the time for galas and balls. Too many people suffering.
They should have been doing this years ago
The FBI has said for years law enforcement and military had been infiltrated by white supremacists.
I guess it took a coup attempt for folks to believe it
You’re right!
I live in Trump Country and I can say that at least HALF (if not more) of those who are in the military from here are on Facebook posting racist memes, pushing Trump lies, and bragging about their guns. I don’t know anything about military recruiting, but they need to stop taking everyone and start vetting online activity.
I graduated from high school the same year as 9/11, and I remember angry, racist 18-year-olds enlisting so they could “kill all the Muslims.” Many went on to Iraq to do just that.
Trump wanted to leave as big a mess as possible for Biden and he certainly succeeded. No one makes giant clusters better than the Orange one. As depressing as it is, we are (as of 9am EST) 51 hours away from the end of the Trump term and his ability to hurt, terrorize and even let a plague kill people. Biden and Harris will take over and no matter what the optics look like on Jan 20…we have damn adults in the room! Things don’t magically get better overnight, but they will start being addressed.
Are the Guardsmen and Women just chit chatting with authorities about these questions or are they going through a lie detector process? People can say anything to stay embedded or in power. I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking. Anyone know?
Pocket Litter- the authorities are most likely looking at online presence and other tell tale signs. I doubt they are just taking people’s word for it. They may not even be interviewing, just looking at finances and connections.
I mean – lie detectors are trash, so I certainly hope they’re not relying on those. Likely background checks, online history etc.
I wish the swearing in was being held at a secure location because it’s so worrisome when you don’t know who could be an enemy magat or not. I suppose they could check voting records, check what region they are from and interview the neighbors but that takes a lot of time. They should have started this last week.
I know it’s tradition to hold it in front of the Capitol building but we aren’t living in normal times.
Trump has even stolen away the joy of Biden and Kamala’s victory with his lies and nonsense lawsuits. He’s taken so much from the people in the last four years, our pride, honor, safety and comfort. He’s given this country nothing but strife and division. I am going to enjoy watching his empire crumble into dust once that German bank starts calling in his debts.
He has not stolen my joy. I can’t WAIT until 12:01 PM Wednesday afternoon, when we will again have a compassionate, intelligent, thoughtful team in the White House. And the first woman, and woman of color serving as VP!! Being sworn in by the first woman of color to become a Supreme Court justice. No, Evil Orange can try, but my joy is bigger than his bull$h!t.
*warning long post*
I was in the National Guard for over 15yrs. I enlisted when I was 18 to help pay for college, and coming from a family with a long history of military service I thought I was SO patriotic and it was going to be amazing. And, being a military musician I did get to do some pretty cool stuff (met & played for several presidents, even int’l travel, etc). But, I left service 5yrs short of retirement because I had become so bitter and disillusioned. Here are some of my thoughts on the military:
– Being a female in the military is…difficult. I don’t know ONE SINGLE military female who was not sexually harassed (repeatedly) at best, and more likely was sexually assaulted–(usually be a soldier(s) we knew & served with). With I became an NCO I was frequently openly hated by enlisted men who thought I was an uppity female who deserved to be taken down.
– Most of the training-particularly for the enlisted ranks-is done on an 8th grade reading level. The test one has to take to enlist in the military (ASVAB) has a scoring scale of 1-100, and to get into the Army infantry one only needs to score a 31…And you can fail it & retake it as many times as you want! Someone can fail it literally dozens of times, but enlist after passing their, say, 30th try. So, there are ALOT of military with very little education. Now, that doesn’t mean they are stupid, but it does tend to create almost an echo chamber & a herd mentality where they will blindly follow–combined with an air of superiority (with healthy doses of misogyny/anti-lgbtq/anti-immigrant beliefs). Perfect breeding ground for a Trump.
– Most National Guardsmen are woefully undertrained. 1 weekend a month & 2 weeks in the summer is NOT alot of training time. I typically touched a rifle only 1-2 days a year (I was a musician, so my training focus was obviously different, but most soldiers are in support roles & not combat-type roles). Guardsmen will often (but not always) have crossover-type civilian jobs, like corrections, but those are honestly some of the worst & most racist soldiers I knew.
– One last viewpoint. I did some training for my civilian job last year focused on empathy for the homeless community (I’m a librarian), and one unit that hit me like a ton of bricks was on what the trainer called the ‘Everyday Sadist.’ These are people who are get pleasure out of enforcing ‘rules’ and consequences and seeing people they think are beneath them ‘punished.’ It was such a “Holy sh*t” moment for me, because I saw SO MANY ‘everyday sadists’ in the military. People with a false sense of superiority & righteousness that are drawn to careers where they can take pleasure in inflicting punishment with the justification of, “But these are the RULES.”
There is active (and very successful) KKK/hate group recruitment going on in military/law enforcement, and it 100% makes sense–it’s a job description that practically screams ‘everyday sadist.’ For every ‘good egg’ there are many more ‘everyday sadists’ posing as patriots & community helpers.
I’m sorry that was your experience, and sorry that probably every other woman trying to serve her country has experienced the same. Your last viewpoint describes practically every member of the Trump Administration.
Thank you for shining light on this, and for your service. I’m so sorry you had to go through this. My sister in law is Air Force and works in counseling. She says very few people understand what it’s like for women in the military, and how much gets brushed under the rug. She had her own scary experience with an abusive ex-husband (also AF) while on-base, and the incident was kept within the military bubble and he received an honorable discharge. They did almost nothing to help her.
I work in a government building in a red state. I’ve been making my staff practice for the worst case scenario. We have window breakers, clear escape routes, places to hide, ways to fight if it gets to that. My family wants me to stay home on the 20th but that’s not happening.
I know this is not reality but I wish so hard we could just have ONE DAY where coronavirus is not a thing and we could all come together and celebrate and everybody could attend the inauguration and Joe and Kamala could have an Inauguration Ball and we could just celebrate this moment the way it should be! Well I guess I have to wish that Trump and his MAGAt traitors didn’t exist now too, because even without COVID for a day they would still be ruining everything. Those seditionist ****ers. We are still months if not years away from either of those things going away. Excuse me while I go somewhere quiet to sob.
I think that day was the Saturday after Election Day, when major news organizations called the race for Biden/Harris just after noon, and people all over the country spontaneously started dancing in the streets, honking horns, etc. It seemed like the weather everywhere was sunny and beautiful; Covid hadn’t ramped up again quite yet even though people had been out for Halloween, and it was before the additional Covid burden of Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s the day I’ll remember.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Biden/Harris are okay with not having the typical celebrations, at least not right now. From the bevy of appointments, etc., all appearances are they both have been working almost non-stop since November to be ready to hit the ground running on the first day – then came the huge increase in pandemic numbers, the vaccination mess, the Capitol insurrection, and the big orange is doing his best in his remaining 48 hours to screw the incoming administration as much as he can. They still have plenty to keep them busy before January 20.
Maybe they can do a big celebration on July 4; if we’re lucky, much of the population will have been vaccinated by then, the pandemic will finally be on the wane, the immediate threat from the insurrectionists will have been neutralized (for the moment), and T will have dropped out of the news cycle. We can only hope.
We will have that day!!! It is coming! We elected competent, decent leaders and took back the Senate. It will come!
Not even asking if it was “stolen”, asking if they think there are any “irregularities” – that’s the code word when people won’t outright admit they think it was stolen.
So my mom heard a coworker talking to her son on speaker phone yesterday. He is in the National Guard and currently inside the Capitol. She asked him if they gave him live ammo and he said yes. She then says to him, “just don’t shoot anyone. Remember, these are AMERICANS! You aren’t in Afghanistan anymore!”
I mean just so many messed up things in that one statement.
I do believe most troops are good people but there are definitely a number of them that are not to be trusted. I really wish they would move the Inauguration indoors.
Can’t they set up clear bulletproof glass “room” out there, like a larger version of what the Pope-mobile uses? What is the point of being out in the open? The time for pretending that we can be business-as-usual has long since passed.
Anna, if you look closely, you’ll see at the speech that the orange one made to incite his followers on January 6th you’ll see that Trump did that behind bulletproof glass. The first time I noticed this was when Obama was President. I have no idea how long the secret service has used this, but it certainly has been around for a while now.