Capitol protects itself against possible incidents on Thursday 2:53
Washington (CNN) -
Federal police are on high alert Thursday in the wake of an intelligence bulletin issued earlier this week on a group of violent extremist militiamen who discussed plans to seize control of the United States Capitol and remove the Democratic lawmakers on or around March 4.
That date is the one that, according to some conspiracy theorists, former President Donald Trump would return to the Presidency.
US officials on Wednesday alerted lawmakers to a potential threat, for which security has been improved as a precaution.
The House changed its hours in light of warnings from the Capitol Police and moved a vote planned for Thursday to Wednesday night to avoid being in session on March 4.
The Senate is expected to still be in session debating the covid-19 relief bill.
Tuesday's joint FBI and Department of Homeland Security warning underscores a broader effort by federal agencies to avoid repeating mistakes made before Jan. 6, when agents were hit by a violent pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol.
Those flaws in intelligence sharing and planning have been exposed over the past two months in various hearings and have been a focal point of criticism from lawmakers investigating the violent attack that left several people dead.
The violent extremists also discussed plans to persuade thousands of people to travel to Washington to participate in the March 4 plot, according to the joint intelligence bulletin.
One source told CNN that these are primarily online conversations and not necessarily an indication that someone is going to Washington and taking action.
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Some of the conspiracy theorists believe that former President Trump will take office on March 4, according to the joint bulletin.
Between 1793 and 1933, the inauguration was often celebrated on March 4 or a nearby date.
Acting US Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman told Congress early Wednesday that her department had "troubling intelligence" information regarding the upcoming days in Congress, but said it would not be "prudent" for your part is sharing "sensitive law enforcement" intelligence in a public hearing or public format.
However, Pittman assured lawmakers that his department is in an "enhanced" security position and that the National Guard and Capitol Police have been briefed on what to expect in the coming days.
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Increased communication to protect the Capitol from potential threats
There has been a concerted effort among federal agencies to communicate potential threats prior to March 4 in a way that they were unable to do so prior to January 6.
The effort to improve preparedness extends to communication with state and local officials.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) placed a call Wednesday with state and local law enforcement officials across the country to discuss current threats posed by domestic extremists, including concerns about possible violence around March 4 and beyond. according to two sources familiar with the matter.
While the specifics of the call remain unclear, both sources said the overall message from DHS officials is that addressing threats posed by domestic extremists requires increased communication and intelligence sharing between federal, state, and local entities. as well as a change in the way that law enforcement officials interpret the information they receive.
In a clear sign that federal agencies are working to avoid the same communication failures for which they have been roundly criticized since the Jan.6 attack on the Capitol, DHS officials are emphasizing that law enforcement should not see the intelligence solely through the lens of whether a threat qualifies as "credible and specific," but instead uses warnings from DHS, the FBI, and other partner agencies to inform decisions about their security posture, even if the information provided does not. it goes so far as to signal an imminent attack or violence, the sources said.
Federal officials are emphasizing the point that gaps in intelligence sharing did not allow law enforcement to prepare for the chaos that unfolded on January 6, even though they were notified of possible violence days before the attack. , and that in the future, bulletins issued by DHS and the FBI indicate a threat is serious enough to be communicated to relevant entities, even if the intelligence is based primarily on online conversations or other less definitive indicators, said the sources.
Acting DHS intelligence chief Melissa Smislova testified Wednesday that DHS is "completely dissatisfied" with the results of the "department's efforts through Jan. 6."
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He told lawmakers that the department is reexamining how it distributes information and coordinates with peers.
"We thought it was enough and it clearly wasn't," he said.
"We will do better," he added.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asked the department to assess its operational posture at a tactical and strategic level, specifically the ability to respond to a possible emerging situation within the capital region, a US official told CNN.
Electoral fraud conspiracies
Alleged election fraud and other conspiracy theories associated with the presidential transition may contribute to the violence with little or no warning, according to the bulletin, which is part of a series of intelligence products to highlight potential domestic violent extremist threats to Washington.
"Since the Capitol complex is currently fortified as a military installation, I do not anticipate any successful attacks on the property," said Brian Harrell, former DHS under secretary for infrastructure protection.
“However, all threats must be taken seriously and investigations initiated against those who claim the violence.
We continue to see far-right groups fueled by misinformation and conspiracy theories rapidly becoming the most dangerous threat to society. '
In today's environment, "you really cannot underestimate the potential for an individual or a small group of individuals to engage in violence because they believe in a false narrative that they are viewing online," the official said.
The false narrative of a stolen election is still drawing the attention of internal extremists, the official said, adding that there are people "in the internal extremist world who are calling for acts of violence in response to that narrative."
Although March 4 is a concern for law enforcement, it is not an "independent event," the official said;
rather, it is part of a "continuum of violence" based on internal extremist conspiracy theories.
“It is a threat that continues to be of concern to law enforcement agencies.
And I suspect that we will have to focus on it for the next few months, "said the official.
The bulletin also notes that extremist militiamen "have allegedly threatened an attack on the United States Capitol using explosives to kill as many members of Congress as possible during the upcoming State of the Union address, according to (the) Chief of Police of the United States. United States Capitol ».
Pittman warned last month that the militia groups involved in the January 6 insurrection want to "blow up the Capitol" and "kill as many members as possible" when President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress.
At the time, Pittman said law enforcement remains concerned about threats from known militia groups "with a direct link to the State of the Union address."
- CNN's Whitney Wild and Jim Sciutto contributed to this report.
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