Following the breach of the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, the FBI is vetting 25,000 National Guard troops deployed to Washington D.C. to secure the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden taking place on Wednesday.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. defense officials say they are conducting the vetting process out of concern about an “insider attack or other threat” from service members involved in securing the inauguration.
The “threats against Biden’s inauguration,” AP underscores, “have been fueled by supporters of President Donald Trump, far-right militants, white supremacists and other radical groups”:
Insider threats have been a persistent law enforcement priority in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But in most cases, the threats are from homegrown insurgents radicalized by al-Qaida, the Islamic State group or similar groups. In contrast, the threats against Biden’s inauguration have been fueled by supporters of President Donald Trump, far-right militants, white supremacists and other radical groups. Many believe Trump’s baseless accusations that the election was stolen from him, a claim that has been refuted by many courts, the Justice Department and Republican officials in key battleground states. Read more…
