Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda D. Pittman said on Thursday that the militia groups tied to the January 6 Capitol riots discussed plans of a similar attack during the State of the Union.
While testifying before the House Appropriations subcommittee, Pittman said: “We know that the insurrectionists that attacked the Capitol weren’t only interested in attacking members of Congress and officers. They wanted to send a symbolic message to the nation as who was in charge of that legislative process.”
“We know that members of the militia groups that were present on January 6 have stated their desires that they want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible with the direct nexus to the State of the Union, which we know that date has not yet been identified,” Pittman added.
Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Samuel Corum/Getty
She went on to state that due to this possible attack, the Capitol Police believes that they need to maintain their “robust security posture” around the building, “until we address those vulnerabilities going forward.”
Newsweek reached out to the Capitol Police for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
