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Trump supporters attack U.S. Capitol on January 6th.


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Washington, February 25 (RHC)-- Top U.S. Capitol security officials blamed intelligence failures for the deadly January 6 insurrection as they were questioned by lawmakers.  

Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told reporters: “No entity, including the FBI, provided any new intelligence regarding January 6th.  It should be also noted that the secretary of Homeland Security did not issue an elevated or imminent alert in reference to the events at the United States Capitol on January 6th.  We properly planned for a mass demonstration with possible violence, but what we got was a military-style coordinated assault.”

Sund resigned after the January 6 attack, as did House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger, who all said they did not see a warning sent by the FBI on January 5 that violent extremists were calling for “war” against Congress. 

The report quoted an online thread which read: “Be ready to fight.  Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled.  Get violent.  Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a protest.  Go there ready for war.  We get our President or we die.” 

The Capitol Police issued its own intelligence report warning of a possible attack three days before January 6th. 

Meanwhile, Robert Contee, acting Washington, D.C., police chief, said the Defense Department was to blame for the slow deployment of National Guard members.  He told reporters: “There was not an immediate 'Yes, the National Guard is responding.  Yes, the National Guard is on the way.' … The response was more focused on, in addition to the plan, the optics, you know, about how this looks with boots on the ground on the Capitol.  And my response to that was simply I was just stunned that, you know, I have officers that were out there literally fighting for their lives.”