Friday, May 28, 2021 10:13:53 PM
I disagree and think the investigation of the Jan. 6th event at the U.S. Capitol should have proceeded. They would have discovered BLM and antifa thugs were planning to lead the riot. JOHN SULLIVAN EVEN BROUGHT HIS BULL HORN TO INCITE THE TRUMP SUPPORTERS!
Further it would expose the FBI for the idiots they are.
Sullivan has been accused by a pretrial service officer of violating those conditions of release.
AND WHILE HUNDREDS OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS REMAIN IN JAIL, SULLIVAN WAS RELEASED BUT IN A COURT DOCUMENT FILED ON JAN. 27TH, HE IS ACCUSED OF VIOLATING SOME OF THE CONDITIONS OF HIS RELEASE.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/01/30/utah-man-arrested-after/
WAS IT A FAILURE TO COLLECT INTELLIGENCE OR A FAILURE TO ACT ON INTELLIGENCE THAT HAD BEEN COLLECTED.
THE 7' FENCE SURROUNDING THE CAPITOL GROUNDS WAS QUICKLY INSTALLED ON JAN 7TH. WHY WASN'D IT ERECTED ON JAN. 4TH OR 5TH??? WHY DID THEY PURCHASE THIS FENCING IF IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE USED TO PROTECT THE CAPITOL??
WE NOW LEARN THAT THE CAPITOL DOORS HAVE MAGNETIC LOCKS AND THEY CAN ONLY BE OPENED BY SOMEONE INSIDE THE CAPITOL BUILDING. WHO OPENED THE DOORS??
WHO THOUGHT THOSE FLIMSEY METAL BARRIERS WERE GOING TO HOLD BACK A MOB OF THOUSANDS?
There are hundreds of posts about plans to attack the Capitol. Why hasn't this evidence been used in court?
The feds have presented no evidence any of the people charged in the Jan. 6 riot planned to attack the Capitol. But these posts gave detailed plans.
A new report by a nonprofit research group, and a separate review by NBC News, uncovered hundreds of social media posts discussing plans to move on the Capitol, including a map of the building and talk of how to create a stampede that would overwhelm Capitol Police.
"You know there will be riot police preventing us from getting in the capitol building," one anonymous poster wrote in December. "What if we created a stampede/crush situation? Start pushing from the back. Surely they will have to get out of the way or get crushed. They're not going to start shooting people."
One post on a very active forum for angry Trump fans called the TheDonald.win was titled "If we occupy the Capitol building, there will be no vote." The top response to that post reads: "GOTTA OVERWHELM THE BARRICADES AND COPS."
The posts raise new questions about whether the FBI missed or failed to act on these threats, and why federal prosecutors have so far said in court they have not determined whether anyone planned the attack in advance.
A Justice Department spokesman and the FBI declined to comment.
"This information, sitting in plain sight on the internet before Jan. 6, paints a clear picture of a planned and coordinated violent attack," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat who serves on the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement to NBC News. "It's important to understand how much of this the FBI and DOJ knew, when they knew it, and how they decided which pieces of information warranted action."
In the past, FBI officials have said that unattributed comments on social media don't always add up to credible intelligence, in part because many people fail to act on the things they say online. They also have pointed to what they call an unvetted "situational information" report from their Norfolk, Virginia, field office describing unspecified plans to make "war" on the Capitol that was sent to law enforcement agencies around the country the night before the riot. That shows they did offer some warning, they say, while acknowledging the report did not circulate at the highest levels of the FBI.
Critics say the FBI missed a torrent of threats online in the days leading up to Jan. 6.
"There are thousands of posts — with tens of thousands of comments — detailing plans to travel to Washington and engage in violence against the U.S. Capitol," said Daniel Jones, a former FBI analyst and longtime Senate investigator who is now president of Advance Democracy. "The ultimate end goal of this violence was, on behalf of Trump, to disrupt the Congress and overturn the presidential election."
The Advance Democracy report gathered the material from a now-defunct website, TheDonald.win, where Donald Trump supporters vented their anger in the wake of an election they believed was stolen from the former president. The report was first detailed last week by The Washington Post. NBC News obtained the full cache of postings from the defunct website and reviewed material that was not included in the Advance Democracy report.
While some of those who posted on TheDonald.win participated in the Capitol riot — some posted photos of themselves on the scene that were reviewed by NBC News — what's not clear is whether any of those who posted specific plans or threats of violence against the Capitol are among the defendants who have been charged. The posts reviewed by NBC News are anonymous, and the court documents in the cases against alleged Capitol rioters don't always detail their social media handles.
Sen. Gary Peters, the Michigan Democrat who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, called what happened Jan. 6 "a massive and historic intelligence failure."
Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol building following a "Stop the Steal" rally on Jan. 6, 2021.
Still unclear is whether it was a failure to collect intelligence or a failure to act on intelligence that had been collected.
Oath Keepers respond to Capitol riot lawsuit, say they didn't interrupt Congress' duties.
A report by the Capitol Police Inspector General released Thursday says that force's intelligence unit was aware that "Congress itself was the target on the 6th," but didn't act on it, leaving the Capitol poorly defended.
Yet, the FBI, not the Capitol Police, is ultimately responsible for detecting and thwarting terrorism attacks, and FBI officials have continued to insist there was no intelligence failure.
An investigation by the Department of Justice Inspector General is ongoing.
"None of us had any intelligence that suggested individuals were going to storm and breach the Capitol," Jill Sanborn, then the FBI's top counterterrorism official, told a Senate committee March 3.
"We do not have at this point someone explicitly saying our plan is to force entry into the Capitol in order to stop the certification," an assistant U.S. attorney told a federal judge March 12.
FBI officials have not said say whether anyone at the FBI was aware of the hundreds of posts calling for violence on TheDonald.win.
The intelligence report from the FBI's Norfolk field office described threats to attack the Capitol, and was passed to the Capitol Police on Jan. 5. Sanborn called it "raw, unvetted information, and said neither she nor FBI Director Christopher Wray had been briefed on it.
Social media was teeming with angry rhetoric in the weeks before Jan. 6, and experts say it wasn't the usual venting.
On Jan. 5, NBC News published a story based in part on postings from TheDonald.win, headlined "Violent threats ripple through far-right internet forums ahead of protest."
FBI officials acknowledge that there were calls for violence at the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" rally by Trump supporters, held just prior to the Capitol attack, but they say they did not add up to specific, credible intelligence.
Yet on TheDonald.win, the talk of attacking the Capitol was granular in its detail.
For example, many posters discussed surrounding the entire Capitol complex, including blocking tunnels that lead from surrounding House and Senate office buildings to the Capitol itself.
"Don't forget, there are three subways leading to and from the Capital that Congress uses to escape. Hypothetically speaking, if those were occupied or sabotaged, they'd have to come out and face us in order to leave," a user named "Free Speech Master" responded.
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News
A map was posted showing entrances and exits to the Capitol and the tunnels that connect it to nearby House and Senate office buildings.
"Black X's are for those ready for action if Congress tries to certify the steal. There's 535 politicians and ~3500 guards," a poster under the username "The Mutualist" wrote Dec. 28.
The map was reposted over the next several days. Some users expressed the belief that taking the Capitol would lead to a successful coup, because "all the other agencies… are directly under the control of Trump."
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News...
"Bring handcuffs and zipties to DC," reads another post from a user named CommunismSucks. "No more tolerating 'elected' officials who hate our country. January 6th is the chance to restore this country. Barging into the Capitol through multiple entryways is the surest way to have our bases covered and apprehend these traitors."
Some posts discussed what type of guns to bring, and how to build gallows and tie nooses to hang members of Congress.
A noose and makeshift gallows was in fact erected by rioters on the West side of the Capitol on Jan. 6.
One poster who said he "works on types of doors," discussed how rioters could break through the Capitol's historic doors.
"Remember, these are things that can be replaced…" the poster said. "So if you need to batter them down, go for it."
Some users on TheDonald.win asked for help in joining extremist groups, including The Proud Boys, some of whose members have been charged with conspiracy in the Capitol riot.
After a Dec. 19 post on TheDonald.win titled "How do I join the Proud Boys?" the most popular response was by the user eplettner: "Come to DC on January 6th."
"That's the plan," the original poster responded.
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News
Users posted pictures of flights and buses full of Trump supporters en route to D.C. for the event on Jan. 6. One user, who called themselves "2021is1776," posted a picture of his hotel room full of weapons and tactical gear.
"Hoping not to need them they are a contingency, plenty of other items on hand for anything other than all out...well you know. the escalation is up to the BLM/ Police," that user wrote.
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News
Hours before the riot, users began posting lists of government officials they hoped to "track down." "When all of the s--t starts, I want to be in the group that tracks down this guy," the user BlooperBoy wrote above a picture of Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Jan. 5.
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News
"Congress has a choice to make tomorrow," reads a post by the user Doejohnblowjoe, followed by a meme that reads "Certify Trump" or "Get Lynched by Patriots."
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News
It wasn't just on TheDonald.Win. Other posters on 4chan's /pol/ board, which is unaffiliated with TheDonald but shares extremist far-right users and viewpoints, made even more explicit threats before Jan. 6.
"You can go to Washington on Jan 6 and help storm the Capitol," one anonymous user wrote on Jan. 5."As many patriots as can be. We will storm the government buildings, kill cops, kill security guards, kill federal employees and agents, and demand a recount."
As NBC News has previously reported, confusion and caution pervades the FBI's approach to reviewing social media. Even though the Justice Department guidelines that govern FBI tactics say the bureau should be proactive in hunting for threats, the FBI says it must wait for a tip before it can look even at public social media.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, asked Wray about the issue at last week's hearing on top national security threats.
"It appears that probably some of the best intelligence prior to Jan. 6 was open source," Schiff said. "It was discussion on social media (about) plans to attack the Capitol.
This raises a important but very difficult question for the bureau …. what is the bureau's policy in terms of your ability to review social media when it's appropriate to do it when it's not appropriate to do it?
Do you have a clear policy on that, and are there legal constraints as well that preclude you from getting the intelligence that you need?"
Right-wing extremism moves to the dark corners of internet after Capitol attack
JAN. 17, 202104:04
In his response, Wray said that absent a tip or some other impetus, the bureau was not free to hunt for threats of violence or domestic terror plots social media, even if the posts are public.
"We do not as the FBI, simply patrol social media, looking for problems," he said.
He added, "We have properly predicated investigations where we look at social media as a key part of those investigations. We get tips from social media companies, which we follow up on. We get tips from members of the public about things they see on social media. And if we have the appropriate predication, we follow up on those."
He did not address the Justice Department guidelines that govern the FBI, which state:
"To carry out its central mission of preventing the commission of terrorist acts against the United States and its people, the FBI must proactively draw on available sources of information to identify terrorist threats and activities …
It cannot be content to wait for leads to come in through the actions of others, but rather must be vigilant in detecting terrorist activities to the full extent permitted by law, with an eye towards early intervention and prevention of acts of terrorism before they occur."
TIMELINE OF THE DAY
12:58 p.m. Chief Sund asked for MPD's assistance to address the growing violent mob at the Capitol. Officers arrive quickly.
Around 1 p.m. "We see this huge crush of people coming down Pennsylvania Ave. toward the Capitol," reports NPR's Hannah Allam. "We follow the crowd as it goes up to the Hill, toward the Capitol. There's scaffolding set up for the inauguration already," she adds. "But as far as protection, all we really saw were some mesh barriers, some metal fencing and only a small contingent of Capitol Police. And we watched them being quickly overwhelmed."
1:09 p.m. Capitol Police Chief Sund says in his Feb. 23 testimony that he notified the two sergeants at arms that he "urgently needed support and asked them to declare a State of Emergency and authorize the National Guard," and that House Sergeant at Arms Irving told him he needed to get approval from the chain of command. House Sergeant at Arms Irving said on Feb. 23 that he has no record or recollection of this call.
1:11 p.m. Trump finishes his remarks.
1:34 p.m. Mayor Bowser asks Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy for additional Guard forces, according to a Pentagon timeline.
1:49 p.m. Capitol Police Chief Sund speaks with the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard Maj. Gen. William Walker by phone and requests immediate assistance.
By 1:50 p.m., MPD declared the assembly at the Capitol to be a riot.
Members of Congress run for cover as rioters try to enter the House chamber on Jan. 6. At one point, rioters get near the Senate chamber, but a Capitol Police officer lures them away.
The House and Senate abruptly go into recess.
2:14 p.m. Demonstrators arrive close to the Senate chamber, as seen on video captured by Huffington Post reporter Igor Bobic. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman redirects them to another hall where there are additional officers.
2:22 p.m. On a conference call with Pentagon officials, D.C. Mayor Bowser requests National Guard support and Capitol Police Chief Sund pleads for backup.
"I am making an urgent, urgent immediate request for National Guard assistance," Sund told The Washington Post he said on the call. "I have got to get boots on the ground."
D.C. officials on the call told the Post they heard director of the Army Staff Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt say that he could not recommend that his boss, Army Secretary McCarthy, approve the request and that he did not like "the visual" of a line of National Guard soldiers in front of the Capitol.
Piatt disputes this. He says that McCarthy ran to the office of Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller for approval as soon as he had a specific request for assistance from the Capitol Police. Piatt says he told the others on the call that he was not the approval authority and that they needed to make a plan for how to use the National Guard troops if approved.
2:24 p.m. Trump tweets criticism of Vice President Pence: "Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!"
2:30 p.m. Acting Defense Secretary Miller, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and Army Secretary McCarthy meet to discuss the requests from Capitol Police Chief Sund and Mayor Bowser.
2:31 p.m. Bowser orders a citywide curfew beginning at 6 p.m.
2:44 p.m. From inside the House chamber come reports of an armed standoff at the door to the chamber. Police officers have their guns drawn on someone trying to get in.
A gunshot is heard. A Capitol police officer shoots rioter Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran from the San Diego area, who later dies.
Three other protesters die in the riot from medical emergencies. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick later dies from injuries suffered when he was attacked by rioters. Four days later, Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood, who was at the Capitol during the riot, dies by suicide.
3 p.m. Acting Defense Secretary Miller determines that all available forces of the D.C. National Guard are required to reestablish security of the Capitol complex.
Guardsmen are moved from traffic points and Metro stations to the D.C. Armory and refitted for a crowd control mission. Army Secretary McCarthy directs the National Guard to prepare soldiers to move from the Armory to the Capitol complex.
3:04 p.m. Miller provides verbal approval for the full activation of the D.C. National Guard — 1,100 members. McCarthy directs the D.C. National Guard to initiate full mobilization.
3:29 p.m. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam tweets that his team is working closely with Mayor Bowser, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to respond to the situation. Northam says that at the mayor's request, he is sending Virginia National Guard members and 200 Virginia State Police troopers to Washington.
3:26 p.m. McCarthy tells Bowser and D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee that their request was approved.
3:36 p.m. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says on Twitter that the National Guard is on its way at Trump's direction.
4:17 p.m. Trump tweets a video downplaying the events of the day, repeating false claims that the election was stolen and sympathizing with his followers, saying: "I know your pain, I know you're hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. ... You're very special. You've seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel, but go home, and go home in peace."
5:02 p.m. One hundred fifty-four members of the D.C. National Guard depart the D.C. Armory.
5:21 p.m. In a video statement, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says, "I never thought I'd see a day like this in America. All Americans should be outraged by this attack on our nation's Capitol." Hogan gives orders to mobilize 200 Maryland State Police troopers and 500 National Guard troops.
5:40 p.m. NPR's Tom Bowman and Graham Smith see the D.C. National Guard arrive at the East Front of the Capitol with helmets and shields. The area is now lined with D.C. police, Prince George's County (Md.) Police and other law enforcement.
6 p.m. Acting Defense Secretary Miller authorizes the mobilization of up to 6,200 National Guard troops from Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania, according to the Pentagon.
A curfew begins in Washington.
6:01 p.m. Trump tweets a message to his supporters. "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"
6:14 p.m. Capitol Police, MPD and the D.C. National Guard establish a perimeter on the west side of the Capitol.
By 7:15 p.m. "[B]oth chambers and leadership offices were cleared, and members were able to return to business, and we began the planning for the following day," Army Secretary McCarthy later says.
8 p.m.: The Capitol is declared secure. Members of Congress return to complete the opening and counting of the Electoral College votes.
Thursday, Jan. 7
3:45 a.m. Pence affirms that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the Electoral College: "Joseph R. Biden Jr. of the state of Delaware has received for president of the United States, 306 votes. Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida has received 232 votes."
Later that day: Sund resigns. So do Michael Stenger, the Senate sergeant-at-arms, and Paul Irving, sergeant-at-arms for the House of Representatives.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin and the FBI begin to announce a series of arrests and a variety of federal criminal charges against people involved in the Capitol attack.
Sunday, Jan. 10
The FBI formally warns local law enforcement that armed protests are being planned for all 50 statehouses and the U.S. Capitol. The warning says an unidentified group is calling on others to help it "storm" state, local and federal courthouses, should Trump be removed as president before Inauguration Day.
Monday, Jan. 11
Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, says two Capitol Police officers have been suspended. One of the suspended officers took a selfie with a rioter. The other put on a MAGA hat "and started directing people around," says Ryan. He chairs the House subcommittee investigating police response to the riot and says 10 to 15 other Capitol Police officers are under investigation.
Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announces he is stepping down. DHS includes the Secret Service, which will be in charge of security for the inauguration.
Tuesday, Jan. 12
The U.S. Justice Department says it has received more than 100,000 pieces of digital information in response to its call for tips about those responsible for the Capitol riot.
The Justice Department says MPD acted on its intelligence to arrest the Proud Boys' Tarrio before the protest, and federal officials interrupted travel of others who planned to go to D.C.
Sherwin says the numbers of arrests will "geometrically increase."
Acting DHS Secretary Peter Gaynor issues a memorandum expanding the designation of the 59th Presidential Inauguration as a national special security event from a period beginning Jan. 13 and lasting through Jan. 21.
Wednesday, Jan. 13
President Trump is impeached by the House of Representatives for inciting an insurrection.
The secretary of the Army announces that as many as 20,000 National Guard troops are expected to be deployed to D.C. for the inauguration. Some will be armed, while others will have access to their weapons but will not carry them.
Thursday, Jan. 14
FBI Director Christopher Wray says the bureau has identified more than 200 suspects from the Capitol riots and arrested more than 100 others in connection with the violence. "We know who you are if you're out there — and FBI agents are coming to find you," he warns.
Friday, Jan. 15
U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz announces his office will begin "a review to examine the role and activity of DOJ and its components in preparing for and responding to the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021." Horowitz said his review will coordinate with IG reviews in the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Interior.
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/15/956842958/what-we-know-so-far-a-timeline-of-security-at-the-capitol-on-january-6
Further it would expose the FBI for the idiots they are.
Sullivan has been accused by a pretrial service officer of violating those conditions of release.
AND WHILE HUNDREDS OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS REMAIN IN JAIL, SULLIVAN WAS RELEASED BUT IN A COURT DOCUMENT FILED ON JAN. 27TH, HE IS ACCUSED OF VIOLATING SOME OF THE CONDITIONS OF HIS RELEASE.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/01/30/utah-man-arrested-after/
WAS IT A FAILURE TO COLLECT INTELLIGENCE OR A FAILURE TO ACT ON INTELLIGENCE THAT HAD BEEN COLLECTED.
THE 7' FENCE SURROUNDING THE CAPITOL GROUNDS WAS QUICKLY INSTALLED ON JAN 7TH. WHY WASN'D IT ERECTED ON JAN. 4TH OR 5TH??? WHY DID THEY PURCHASE THIS FENCING IF IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE USED TO PROTECT THE CAPITOL??
WE NOW LEARN THAT THE CAPITOL DOORS HAVE MAGNETIC LOCKS AND THEY CAN ONLY BE OPENED BY SOMEONE INSIDE THE CAPITOL BUILDING. WHO OPENED THE DOORS??
WHO THOUGHT THOSE FLIMSEY METAL BARRIERS WERE GOING TO HOLD BACK A MOB OF THOUSANDS?
There are hundreds of posts about plans to attack the Capitol. Why hasn't this evidence been used in court?
The feds have presented no evidence any of the people charged in the Jan. 6 riot planned to attack the Capitol. But these posts gave detailed plans.
A new report by a nonprofit research group, and a separate review by NBC News, uncovered hundreds of social media posts discussing plans to move on the Capitol, including a map of the building and talk of how to create a stampede that would overwhelm Capitol Police.
"You know there will be riot police preventing us from getting in the capitol building," one anonymous poster wrote in December. "What if we created a stampede/crush situation? Start pushing from the back. Surely they will have to get out of the way or get crushed. They're not going to start shooting people."
One post on a very active forum for angry Trump fans called the TheDonald.win was titled "If we occupy the Capitol building, there will be no vote." The top response to that post reads: "GOTTA OVERWHELM THE BARRICADES AND COPS."
The posts raise new questions about whether the FBI missed or failed to act on these threats, and why federal prosecutors have so far said in court they have not determined whether anyone planned the attack in advance.
A Justice Department spokesman and the FBI declined to comment.
"This information, sitting in plain sight on the internet before Jan. 6, paints a clear picture of a planned and coordinated violent attack," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat who serves on the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement to NBC News. "It's important to understand how much of this the FBI and DOJ knew, when they knew it, and how they decided which pieces of information warranted action."
In the past, FBI officials have said that unattributed comments on social media don't always add up to credible intelligence, in part because many people fail to act on the things they say online. They also have pointed to what they call an unvetted "situational information" report from their Norfolk, Virginia, field office describing unspecified plans to make "war" on the Capitol that was sent to law enforcement agencies around the country the night before the riot. That shows they did offer some warning, they say, while acknowledging the report did not circulate at the highest levels of the FBI.
Critics say the FBI missed a torrent of threats online in the days leading up to Jan. 6.
"There are thousands of posts — with tens of thousands of comments — detailing plans to travel to Washington and engage in violence against the U.S. Capitol," said Daniel Jones, a former FBI analyst and longtime Senate investigator who is now president of Advance Democracy. "The ultimate end goal of this violence was, on behalf of Trump, to disrupt the Congress and overturn the presidential election."
The Advance Democracy report gathered the material from a now-defunct website, TheDonald.win, where Donald Trump supporters vented their anger in the wake of an election they believed was stolen from the former president. The report was first detailed last week by The Washington Post. NBC News obtained the full cache of postings from the defunct website and reviewed material that was not included in the Advance Democracy report.
While some of those who posted on TheDonald.win participated in the Capitol riot — some posted photos of themselves on the scene that were reviewed by NBC News — what's not clear is whether any of those who posted specific plans or threats of violence against the Capitol are among the defendants who have been charged. The posts reviewed by NBC News are anonymous, and the court documents in the cases against alleged Capitol rioters don't always detail their social media handles.
Sen. Gary Peters, the Michigan Democrat who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, called what happened Jan. 6 "a massive and historic intelligence failure."
Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol building following a "Stop the Steal" rally on Jan. 6, 2021.
Still unclear is whether it was a failure to collect intelligence or a failure to act on intelligence that had been collected.
Oath Keepers respond to Capitol riot lawsuit, say they didn't interrupt Congress' duties.
A report by the Capitol Police Inspector General released Thursday says that force's intelligence unit was aware that "Congress itself was the target on the 6th," but didn't act on it, leaving the Capitol poorly defended.
Yet, the FBI, not the Capitol Police, is ultimately responsible for detecting and thwarting terrorism attacks, and FBI officials have continued to insist there was no intelligence failure.
An investigation by the Department of Justice Inspector General is ongoing.
"None of us had any intelligence that suggested individuals were going to storm and breach the Capitol," Jill Sanborn, then the FBI's top counterterrorism official, told a Senate committee March 3.
"We do not have at this point someone explicitly saying our plan is to force entry into the Capitol in order to stop the certification," an assistant U.S. attorney told a federal judge March 12.
FBI officials have not said say whether anyone at the FBI was aware of the hundreds of posts calling for violence on TheDonald.win.
The intelligence report from the FBI's Norfolk field office described threats to attack the Capitol, and was passed to the Capitol Police on Jan. 5. Sanborn called it "raw, unvetted information, and said neither she nor FBI Director Christopher Wray had been briefed on it.
Social media was teeming with angry rhetoric in the weeks before Jan. 6, and experts say it wasn't the usual venting.
On Jan. 5, NBC News published a story based in part on postings from TheDonald.win, headlined "Violent threats ripple through far-right internet forums ahead of protest."
FBI officials acknowledge that there were calls for violence at the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" rally by Trump supporters, held just prior to the Capitol attack, but they say they did not add up to specific, credible intelligence.
Yet on TheDonald.win, the talk of attacking the Capitol was granular in its detail.
For example, many posters discussed surrounding the entire Capitol complex, including blocking tunnels that lead from surrounding House and Senate office buildings to the Capitol itself.
"Don't forget, there are three subways leading to and from the Capital that Congress uses to escape. Hypothetically speaking, if those were occupied or sabotaged, they'd have to come out and face us in order to leave," a user named "Free Speech Master" responded.
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News
A map was posted showing entrances and exits to the Capitol and the tunnels that connect it to nearby House and Senate office buildings.
"Black X's are for those ready for action if Congress tries to certify the steal. There's 535 politicians and ~3500 guards," a poster under the username "The Mutualist" wrote Dec. 28.
The map was reposted over the next several days. Some users expressed the belief that taking the Capitol would lead to a successful coup, because "all the other agencies… are directly under the control of Trump."
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News...
"Bring handcuffs and zipties to DC," reads another post from a user named CommunismSucks. "No more tolerating 'elected' officials who hate our country. January 6th is the chance to restore this country. Barging into the Capitol through multiple entryways is the surest way to have our bases covered and apprehend these traitors."
Some posts discussed what type of guns to bring, and how to build gallows and tie nooses to hang members of Congress.
A noose and makeshift gallows was in fact erected by rioters on the West side of the Capitol on Jan. 6.
One poster who said he "works on types of doors," discussed how rioters could break through the Capitol's historic doors.
"Remember, these are things that can be replaced…" the poster said. "So if you need to batter them down, go for it."
Some users on TheDonald.win asked for help in joining extremist groups, including The Proud Boys, some of whose members have been charged with conspiracy in the Capitol riot.
After a Dec. 19 post on TheDonald.win titled "How do I join the Proud Boys?" the most popular response was by the user eplettner: "Come to DC on January 6th."
"That's the plan," the original poster responded.
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News
Users posted pictures of flights and buses full of Trump supporters en route to D.C. for the event on Jan. 6. One user, who called themselves "2021is1776," posted a picture of his hotel room full of weapons and tactical gear.
"Hoping not to need them they are a contingency, plenty of other items on hand for anything other than all out...well you know. the escalation is up to the BLM/ Police," that user wrote.
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News
Hours before the riot, users began posting lists of government officials they hoped to "track down." "When all of the s--t starts, I want to be in the group that tracks down this guy," the user BlooperBoy wrote above a picture of Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Jan. 5.
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News
"Congress has a choice to make tomorrow," reads a post by the user Doejohnblowjoe, followed by a meme that reads "Certify Trump" or "Get Lynched by Patriots."
An anonymous post on TheDonald.win ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.obtained by NBC News
It wasn't just on TheDonald.Win. Other posters on 4chan's /pol/ board, which is unaffiliated with TheDonald but shares extremist far-right users and viewpoints, made even more explicit threats before Jan. 6.
"You can go to Washington on Jan 6 and help storm the Capitol," one anonymous user wrote on Jan. 5."As many patriots as can be. We will storm the government buildings, kill cops, kill security guards, kill federal employees and agents, and demand a recount."
As NBC News has previously reported, confusion and caution pervades the FBI's approach to reviewing social media. Even though the Justice Department guidelines that govern FBI tactics say the bureau should be proactive in hunting for threats, the FBI says it must wait for a tip before it can look even at public social media.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, asked Wray about the issue at last week's hearing on top national security threats.
"It appears that probably some of the best intelligence prior to Jan. 6 was open source," Schiff said. "It was discussion on social media (about) plans to attack the Capitol.
This raises a important but very difficult question for the bureau …. what is the bureau's policy in terms of your ability to review social media when it's appropriate to do it when it's not appropriate to do it?
Do you have a clear policy on that, and are there legal constraints as well that preclude you from getting the intelligence that you need?"
Right-wing extremism moves to the dark corners of internet after Capitol attack
JAN. 17, 202104:04
In his response, Wray said that absent a tip or some other impetus, the bureau was not free to hunt for threats of violence or domestic terror plots social media, even if the posts are public.
"We do not as the FBI, simply patrol social media, looking for problems," he said.
He added, "We have properly predicated investigations where we look at social media as a key part of those investigations. We get tips from social media companies, which we follow up on. We get tips from members of the public about things they see on social media. And if we have the appropriate predication, we follow up on those."
He did not address the Justice Department guidelines that govern the FBI, which state:
"To carry out its central mission of preventing the commission of terrorist acts against the United States and its people, the FBI must proactively draw on available sources of information to identify terrorist threats and activities …
It cannot be content to wait for leads to come in through the actions of others, but rather must be vigilant in detecting terrorist activities to the full extent permitted by law, with an eye towards early intervention and prevention of acts of terrorism before they occur."
TIMELINE OF THE DAY
12:58 p.m. Chief Sund asked for MPD's assistance to address the growing violent mob at the Capitol. Officers arrive quickly.
Around 1 p.m. "We see this huge crush of people coming down Pennsylvania Ave. toward the Capitol," reports NPR's Hannah Allam. "We follow the crowd as it goes up to the Hill, toward the Capitol. There's scaffolding set up for the inauguration already," she adds. "But as far as protection, all we really saw were some mesh barriers, some metal fencing and only a small contingent of Capitol Police. And we watched them being quickly overwhelmed."
1:09 p.m. Capitol Police Chief Sund says in his Feb. 23 testimony that he notified the two sergeants at arms that he "urgently needed support and asked them to declare a State of Emergency and authorize the National Guard," and that House Sergeant at Arms Irving told him he needed to get approval from the chain of command. House Sergeant at Arms Irving said on Feb. 23 that he has no record or recollection of this call.
1:11 p.m. Trump finishes his remarks.
1:34 p.m. Mayor Bowser asks Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy for additional Guard forces, according to a Pentagon timeline.
1:49 p.m. Capitol Police Chief Sund speaks with the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard Maj. Gen. William Walker by phone and requests immediate assistance.
By 1:50 p.m., MPD declared the assembly at the Capitol to be a riot.
Members of Congress run for cover as rioters try to enter the House chamber on Jan. 6. At one point, rioters get near the Senate chamber, but a Capitol Police officer lures them away.
The House and Senate abruptly go into recess.
2:14 p.m. Demonstrators arrive close to the Senate chamber, as seen on video captured by Huffington Post reporter Igor Bobic. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman redirects them to another hall where there are additional officers.
2:22 p.m. On a conference call with Pentagon officials, D.C. Mayor Bowser requests National Guard support and Capitol Police Chief Sund pleads for backup.
"I am making an urgent, urgent immediate request for National Guard assistance," Sund told The Washington Post he said on the call. "I have got to get boots on the ground."
D.C. officials on the call told the Post they heard director of the Army Staff Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt say that he could not recommend that his boss, Army Secretary McCarthy, approve the request and that he did not like "the visual" of a line of National Guard soldiers in front of the Capitol.
Piatt disputes this. He says that McCarthy ran to the office of Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller for approval as soon as he had a specific request for assistance from the Capitol Police. Piatt says he told the others on the call that he was not the approval authority and that they needed to make a plan for how to use the National Guard troops if approved.
2:24 p.m. Trump tweets criticism of Vice President Pence: "Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!"
2:30 p.m. Acting Defense Secretary Miller, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and Army Secretary McCarthy meet to discuss the requests from Capitol Police Chief Sund and Mayor Bowser.
2:31 p.m. Bowser orders a citywide curfew beginning at 6 p.m.
2:44 p.m. From inside the House chamber come reports of an armed standoff at the door to the chamber. Police officers have their guns drawn on someone trying to get in.
A gunshot is heard. A Capitol police officer shoots rioter Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran from the San Diego area, who later dies.
Three other protesters die in the riot from medical emergencies. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick later dies from injuries suffered when he was attacked by rioters. Four days later, Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood, who was at the Capitol during the riot, dies by suicide.
3 p.m. Acting Defense Secretary Miller determines that all available forces of the D.C. National Guard are required to reestablish security of the Capitol complex.
Guardsmen are moved from traffic points and Metro stations to the D.C. Armory and refitted for a crowd control mission. Army Secretary McCarthy directs the National Guard to prepare soldiers to move from the Armory to the Capitol complex.
3:04 p.m. Miller provides verbal approval for the full activation of the D.C. National Guard — 1,100 members. McCarthy directs the D.C. National Guard to initiate full mobilization.
3:29 p.m. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam tweets that his team is working closely with Mayor Bowser, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to respond to the situation. Northam says that at the mayor's request, he is sending Virginia National Guard members and 200 Virginia State Police troopers to Washington.
3:26 p.m. McCarthy tells Bowser and D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee that their request was approved.
3:36 p.m. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says on Twitter that the National Guard is on its way at Trump's direction.
4:17 p.m. Trump tweets a video downplaying the events of the day, repeating false claims that the election was stolen and sympathizing with his followers, saying: "I know your pain, I know you're hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. ... You're very special. You've seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel, but go home, and go home in peace."
5:02 p.m. One hundred fifty-four members of the D.C. National Guard depart the D.C. Armory.
5:21 p.m. In a video statement, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says, "I never thought I'd see a day like this in America. All Americans should be outraged by this attack on our nation's Capitol." Hogan gives orders to mobilize 200 Maryland State Police troopers and 500 National Guard troops.
5:40 p.m. NPR's Tom Bowman and Graham Smith see the D.C. National Guard arrive at the East Front of the Capitol with helmets and shields. The area is now lined with D.C. police, Prince George's County (Md.) Police and other law enforcement.
6 p.m. Acting Defense Secretary Miller authorizes the mobilization of up to 6,200 National Guard troops from Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania, according to the Pentagon.
A curfew begins in Washington.
6:01 p.m. Trump tweets a message to his supporters. "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"
6:14 p.m. Capitol Police, MPD and the D.C. National Guard establish a perimeter on the west side of the Capitol.
By 7:15 p.m. "[B]oth chambers and leadership offices were cleared, and members were able to return to business, and we began the planning for the following day," Army Secretary McCarthy later says.
8 p.m.: The Capitol is declared secure. Members of Congress return to complete the opening and counting of the Electoral College votes.
Thursday, Jan. 7
3:45 a.m. Pence affirms that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the Electoral College: "Joseph R. Biden Jr. of the state of Delaware has received for president of the United States, 306 votes. Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida has received 232 votes."
Later that day: Sund resigns. So do Michael Stenger, the Senate sergeant-at-arms, and Paul Irving, sergeant-at-arms for the House of Representatives.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin and the FBI begin to announce a series of arrests and a variety of federal criminal charges against people involved in the Capitol attack.
Sunday, Jan. 10
The FBI formally warns local law enforcement that armed protests are being planned for all 50 statehouses and the U.S. Capitol. The warning says an unidentified group is calling on others to help it "storm" state, local and federal courthouses, should Trump be removed as president before Inauguration Day.
Monday, Jan. 11
Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, says two Capitol Police officers have been suspended. One of the suspended officers took a selfie with a rioter. The other put on a MAGA hat "and started directing people around," says Ryan. He chairs the House subcommittee investigating police response to the riot and says 10 to 15 other Capitol Police officers are under investigation.
Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announces he is stepping down. DHS includes the Secret Service, which will be in charge of security for the inauguration.
Tuesday, Jan. 12
The U.S. Justice Department says it has received more than 100,000 pieces of digital information in response to its call for tips about those responsible for the Capitol riot.
The Justice Department says MPD acted on its intelligence to arrest the Proud Boys' Tarrio before the protest, and federal officials interrupted travel of others who planned to go to D.C.
Sherwin says the numbers of arrests will "geometrically increase."
Acting DHS Secretary Peter Gaynor issues a memorandum expanding the designation of the 59th Presidential Inauguration as a national special security event from a period beginning Jan. 13 and lasting through Jan. 21.
Wednesday, Jan. 13
President Trump is impeached by the House of Representatives for inciting an insurrection.
The secretary of the Army announces that as many as 20,000 National Guard troops are expected to be deployed to D.C. for the inauguration. Some will be armed, while others will have access to their weapons but will not carry them.
Thursday, Jan. 14
FBI Director Christopher Wray says the bureau has identified more than 200 suspects from the Capitol riots and arrested more than 100 others in connection with the violence. "We know who you are if you're out there — and FBI agents are coming to find you," he warns.
Friday, Jan. 15
U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz announces his office will begin "a review to examine the role and activity of DOJ and its components in preparing for and responding to the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021." Horowitz said his review will coordinate with IG reviews in the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Interior.
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/15/956842958/what-we-know-so-far-a-timeline-of-security-at-the-capitol-on-january-6
Join the InvestorsHub Community
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
