House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thanks National Guard at Capitol before impeachment hearing

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., thanked several members of the National Guard outside the Capitol before she spoke on the House floor.

Drew Hammill, deputy chief of staff for Pelosi, tweeted an image of Pelosi speaking to the National Guard members standing in front of the Capitol.

“The Speaker of the House thanks the men and women of the National Guard for protecting the U.S. Capitol,” Hammill tweeted.

After the deadly riot on Jan. 6, the D.C. National Guard surrounded the Capitol with rifles and filled the halls as the House convenes for impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump, whom lawmakers have accused of inciting the attack.

National Guard troops lined the side of the Capitol halls, sleeping as House members began the impeachment hearings.

Riot shields, rifles and naps: Photos show National Guard filling Capitol

The National Guard is a part of several security measures the Department of Homeland Security have implemented leading up to Inauguration Day. In addition to troops, a metal fence now surrounds the building.

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The increased security measure comes after learning that a heavily armed man, who was a part of last week’s deadly riot, previously sent text messages threatening to kill Pelosi, according to a government memorandum.

One text read: “Thinking about heading over to Pelosi (expletive) speech and putting a bullet in her noggin on Live TV.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nancy Pelosi thanks National Guard before Impeachment hearing