(WXYZ) — Capitol police in Washington D.C. are preparing for a threat on the Capitol building expected Thursday after receiving information of a potential plot by a militia group.
The threat comes just two months after a mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Capitol police are aware and prepared for any potential threats towards members of Congress and say after January 6 they are taking this threat very seriously.
“This is a real security threat, and so there is a lot of anxiety a lot of concern,” said Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee.
“What the Capitol police has been monitoring is chatter among these groups, and they’ve seen some of the right-wing militia groups seriously planning credible threats to the US Capitol scheduled for the next couple of days,” Kildee said.
Kildee was at the Capitol on Jan. 6 when a mob stormed the building. He says this threat is based purely on a conspiracy theory.
“March 4, which 100 years ago was the Presidential Inauguration Day, will somehow be the day Donald Trump is supposed to be inaugurated President,” he said.
Michigan Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin says hearing of a potential threat that interrupts Congress isn’t okay.
“I think we need to re-establish deterrence that if you threaten or use violence there is going to be consequences to that,” Slotkin said.
The conspiracy theory says that former president Donald Trump will somehow be inaugurated back into office on March 4, which 100 years ago was the presidential Inauguration Day.
Slotkin says the potential threat has Congress concerned. In fact, they moved up legislation they were scheduled to continue debating Thursday into the evening hours Wednesday.
“We’re going to be here even if we have to be here until 3 in the morning,” Slotkin said, "and we are going to get our work done. And then people won’t have a need to come to the House floor tomorrow."
Capitol police have taken appropriate strides to secure the Capitol building, including establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower around the Capitol to protect Congress, the public, and police officers.
Kildee says he has noticed the increased protection. “There’s a pretty significant increase in Capitol police presence, some tactical units deployed," he said. "We don’t talk a lot about the security measures that are being taken because that would undermine their effectiveness. But I think it is clear that security has been stepped up quite a bit."
Capitol police say they are working with local law enforcement in Washington, including state and federal law enforcement.
