Right-wingers are getting ready to rally on Sept. 18 in support of incarcerated rioters from the fatal Jan. 6 Capitol Hill insurrection.
In advance of the gathering, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe told CNN of law enforcement’s preparation, “I think they should take it very seriously. In fact, they should take it more seriously than they took the same sort of intelligence that they likely saw on Jan. 5.”
McCabe—who was FBI Deputy Director from 2016 to 2018—said authorities now have “a few factors leaning in their favor.”
“You don’t have a sitting President actively fanning the flames and trying to get people to attend the rally,” he said. “And on the other hand, it looks like, from all indications, our law enforcement partners are well prepared for this one. They seem to be taking the intelligence very seriously, which raises a question as to whether or not they did on January 6, but that’s another issue.”
A Trump campaign staffer arranged the impending rally, which has motivated Washington D.C.’s law enforcement to boost security on Capitol Hill. Since Jan. 6, lawmakers have increased personal security measures and U.S. Capitol Police have begun opening field offices across the nation.
According to a law enforcement source, the Metropolitan Police Department will be in full attendance and is on the lookout for any information to assess how big the crowd may be. Still, it’s not yet known how many people will be in attendance. The demonstration is set to occur on a Saturday when not many Congress members will be present and when the House is in recess.
