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BREAKDOWN
The order clears federal aid to Washington, DC after officials warned of threats ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Donald Trump has approved a declaration of a state of emergency in the US capital, the White House press office said Monday evening, after US law enforcement warned of threats before inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
The order authorizes the extension of federal aid until Jan. 24 to support efforts in Washington, DC to respond to the emergency.
More specifically, it allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency “to identify, mobilize and provide, at its discretion, the equipment and resources necessary to mitigate the impacts of the emergency”.
The move comes after pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol building on January 6 to support Trump’s false claims that the U.S. election was stolen from him. Five people were killed in the violence.
Earlier Monday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in an internal bulletin warned of possible armed protests in all 50 states and the U.S. capital in the days leading up to Biden’s January 20 inauguration.
Washington, DC Major Muriel Bowser sent a letter over the weekend, calling for tighter security ahead of the inauguration in light of the “chaos, injuries and deaths” on Capitol Hill on January 6.
Bowser called on the Department of Homeland Security to expand emergency arrangements to allow federal and local agencies to better prepare for the inauguration and requested daily information on the FBI’s intelligence and threats from Jan.11 to January 24.
Meanwhile, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy, Kirsten Gillibrand and Martin Heinrich on Monday sent a letter to Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller requesting a full account of what happened during the Capitol Riot.
The letter states that “more than three and a half hours … elapsed between the first breach of the barriers on the west side of the United States Capitol” and the arrival of the National Guard.
“On January 6, it took 4.5 hours before the arrival of the US military to defend the Capitol. This is not acceptable and we are asking for a full account of what needs to change, ”Murphy tweeted.
This is the letter @SenGillibrand @MartinHeinrich and I sent to Acting Sec. Defense today. On January 6, it took 4.5 hours before the arrival of the US military to defend the Capitol. This is not acceptable and we are asking for a full account of what needs to change. pic.twitter.com/XZKiOqbA4R
– Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 11, 2021
Democrats are pushing to impeach Trump for instigating his supporters to storm Capitol Hill.
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to take action on Tuesday calling on Vice President Mike Pence and members of Trump’s cabinet to invoke a 25th Amendment process, which allows for the removal of a president deemed unfit to perform their duties.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Monday the president posed an “imminent threat” to the nation and “should be removed from office immediately.”
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