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Some members of Congress have told their party leadership that they fear for their lives and the lives of their families, sources told CNN. And several members of Congress have taken new security measures, sources told CNN.
The more they learn from news reports and online, the more they worry, according to several sources. There is a growing awareness of the danger they found themselves in, the sources say, especially when they see videos that reflect how coordinated the attack at times seemed.
A particularly concerning video shows militia members with their arms around each other, pushing each other in a line that winds through a crowd surging against a door of the Capitol building, a Congressional source told CNN.
“I am,” Meijer told CNN when asked if he was concerned about threats being made against him. “But I’m not going to let that influence my decision. I think if we veto the assassins, if we veto the insurgents, we’re losing something in this country, and I won’t let this happen again.”
Meijer has since added that he plans to buy bulletproof vests and adjust his daily routines to protect himself from death threats.
“It’s sad that we have to get to this point, but you know, we expect someone to try to kill us,” Meijer said Thursday on MSNBC.
“I mean just today, just this morning, one of my offices received a threat to my life. I have received other threats to my security. My address, a photo of my house where my family lives was posted on some sort of dusty anti – Facebook page. These are dark times. There is tremendous outrage and rage, “Johnson told PBS on Wednesday.” The reality is, I don’t just think of myself but of all of my colleagues, we have to recognize that we may be in danger, but we still have to do our job. “
Johnson said the threats so far have come from supporters of President Donald Trump.
“Over the past week a preponderance of threats have come from those on the far right,” acknowledging that in the past he has received threats from the left.
Projecting security concerns regarding the upcoming inauguration, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn told CNN on Wednesday that while he felt safe on Capitol Hill that day, he didn’t know what point he would feel safe on inauguration day until he received more details.
“I feel safe today I have no idea how I’m going to feel on the 20th because I don’t know what they’re going to put in place,” said Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina .
“It is a very sad comment that we had to install metal detectors outside the House because our colleagues could pose a threat to the safety and security of members,” a Democratic aide told CNN.
Likewise, some Republican members have also been uncomfortable with some of their caucuses known to carry guns, according to a GOP source.
In response to growing concerns from members about their safety, the Committee on House Administration circulated a letter earlier this week reminding them of the safety measures they could take and the process of strengthening their protocols. of security. Members may be reimbursed for the purchase of a bulletproof vest, for hiring security personnel in some cases or for obtaining their own security training, and for making a range of security improvements to their district offices.
Questions about “inside” help
As CNN previously reported, there are still more questions than answers as to whether the pro-Trump rioters had any internal help.
There are early indications, as well as unverified accusations, that some GOP lawmakers collaborated with some of the extremist conspiracy theorists who organized the rallies and might even have given rioters ‘reconnaissance’ tours before the attack.
A group of Democratic lawmakers have asked the U.S. Capitol Police to launch an investigation into possible collaboration between members of Congress and the rioters who attacked the building.
Representative Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat who was captured in an iconic photograph hidden in the House gallery during the attack, told CNN on Thursday that some lawmakers had arranged tours even though tours had been banned since the start of the pandemic.
“We will follow where the facts take us,” Crow said. “We’re not going to speculate. I’m not a mind reader.”
He also said he had “misplaced trust” in the United States Capitol Police to protect him and other lawmakers from threats.
Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, one of the co-signers of the letter, confirmed to CNN that she saw groups of six to eight people in MAGA clothing on tour. a day or two before the attack.
“I had seen what appeared to be groups of tourists dressed as MAGA, in the hallways, in the tunnels,” Scanlon told CNN.
“I don’t know exactly what day it was, it was just surprising to see this happen because since Covid the building has been closed. There aren’t supposed to be any visitors. So I kind of assumed it had to be a new A member who didn’t know the rules or something. But, I mean, I can verify that it happened. There were people wandering the halls, apparently under the direction of Congress staff. “
As the massive criminal investigation intensifies, this angle will be an intense focus for the Justice Department and the FBI as they attempt to determine whether lawmakers or staff were instrumental in a conspiracy. to attack the Capitol and disrupt Electoral College procedures.
It’s unclear what future disclosures Cheney was referring to, but she is a hip lawmaker with connections across Washington who would likely be able to get information on the investigation before things became clear to the public.
Ryan Nobles of CNN contributed to this report.
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