Yahoo EntertainmentFBI Warns Of “Armed Group” Planning More DC Protests; Joe Biden “Not Afraid” To Take Oath Outside On January 20
Joe Biden has no plans to stay out of view on Inauguration Day, he says, even as the FBI on Monday warned that more armed supporters of Donald Trump are aiming to be in Washington, DC and elsewhere to potentially “storm” government buildings over the next few days.
More from Deadline
House Democrats Introduce Article Of Impeachment Against Donald Trump
Donald Trump Says His Speech Before Capitol Siege Was "Totally Appropriate"
“The FBI received information about an identified armed group intending to travel to Washington, DC on 16 January,” reads in internal bulletin from the bureau that ABC News first obtained. “They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS via the 25th Amendment, a huge uprising will occur.”
A law enforcement source with knowledge of the situation confirmed the correspondence to Deadline.
Less than a week after the chaos, rioting and failed insurrection, the warning comes as areas of DC such as the Washington Monument have been shut down and about 15,000 National Guard troops are expected to be deployed for the swearing in of Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris next week.
As arrests slowly grow from the January 6 attack and new security measures are being put in place in DC, the bulletin from the FBI also warns that far-right groups are calling for an effort to “storm” statehouses across the nation. Scheduled from January 17-20 according to the FBI and online chatter, the next attacks will occur if Trump is tossed out early due to newly launched impeachment efforts or via the 25th Amendment and additionally when Biden formally takes office.
Getting his second shot of the coronavirus vaccine in public on Monday in Wilmington, DE, the usually loquacious Biden stayed in the stern and concise lane he’s been riding since the invasion of the Capitol last week.
“I am not afraid to take the oath outside, and we’ve been getting briefed,” he said this morning.
With rising fears that the unprecedented events of last Wednesday were just the kickoff to more violence and attacks, Biden added that he wanted to see the legal and political emphasis on those who “engaged in sedition” on January 6. “Can we go half a day on dealing with the impeachment, and half a day getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package?” he said of a possible format for getting rid of Trump and continuing the business of governing for the incoming administration.
“This is not dissent, it’s disorder, it’s chaos and it borders on sedition and it must end now,” the self-described “shocked and saddened” President-elect said on January 6 as hordes of Trump-encouraged conspirators poured past police and into the halls of Congress. Imploring Trump to help quell the fire he had started, Biden also called the orchestrated attack “dark moment” in America’s history.
It’s a moment Biden and and many others put squarely on Trump and his blatant attempts to hold on to power and prevent the certification that day of the Electoral College vote by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“I’ve been clear that President Trump should not be in office,” Biden said Monday. “Period.”
Disappointed in his coup attempt, Trump has made it explicit that he will not be attending Biden’s “America United”-themed inauguration, which is all right with his successor. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will be attending the ceremony, which is expected to be characterized by a multi-network primetime special.
Exiled from social media late last week, Trump has been silent today with the exception of a release from the White House confirming that longtime ally Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has been given the once-prestigious Medal of Freedom.
The House is scheduled to vote on articles of impeachment against the former Celebrity Apprentice host January 13 – seven days before Trump is out of office and Biden becomes the 46th president.
Best of Deadline
Coronavirus: Movies That Have Halted Or Delayed Production Amid Outbreak
Hong Kong Filmart Postponed Due To Coronavirus Fears; Event Moves Two Weeks Before Toronto
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
