Acting United States (US) Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman has warned that militia groups involved in the January 6 riot want to “blow up the Capitol” and “kill as many members as possible” when President Joe Biden addresses Congress.
Pittman told House lawmakers about the threats on Thursday during a hearing on security failures related to January 6.
The Police chief said law enforcement remains concerned about threats by known militia groups “with a direct nexus to the State of the Union” address.
“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 a direct nexus to the State of the Union, which we know that date has not been identified,” she 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 to who is in charge of that legislative process,” she was quoted to have said by sundry media platforms.
Although presidents typically do not deliver an official State of the Union address in the opening months of their first term, Biden’s administration is reportedly considering an address to a joint session of Congress later this year.
However, a specific date hasn’t been identified.
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