Mornin’ Politocadoes!
So it seems like the United States Secret Service is kinda, um, bad? Everything we’ve seen from the investigations into the January 6th riots have shown at best incompetence to the very worst active participation in multiple cover-ups. The January 6th committee asks for e-mails from the days leading up to the coup attempt? The Secret Service wiped them. The committee asks for e-mails establishing a timeline that justifies the wipe? They don’t have them. And now, it appears that they avoided informing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of a credible active threat to her life until hours after the Capitol was breached.
According to e-mails obtained by CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington), the Secret Service had identified one person across multiple social media platforms posting violent threats against politicians, including Nancy Pelosi. The December 31st post read as such “January 6 starts #1776 all over again…Fight for EVERYTHING” and listed Pelosi under the “ENEMIES” header. The threats became more specific as January 6th neared. The poster also posted other troubling information which indicated a desire to remain incognito, suggesting rioters hide their MAGA gear as they checked into DC hotels and not to trust DC cops.
“Biden will die shortly after being elected,” the account posted on January 2nd. “Patriots are gonna tear his head off. Prison is his best case scenario.”
“We’re all on a mission to save America. Lone wolf attacks are the way to go,” read a post the following day. “Stay anonymous. Stay alive. Guns up Patriots!!”
Given all of the information that had been swirling about within our intelligence and law enforcement agencies, it’s a bit baffling to see how all of this didn’t get directed toward lawmakers. It only adds to the impression that the Secret Service failed to do it’s job in the very best of appraisals. Like, maybe it’s a bit silly to think the Secret Service would be transparent, but among their responsibilities are to protect US political leaders and their families. Even if they didn’t think it was something worth following up on, it should have been brought to the Speaker’s office’s attention. Maybe the Capitol would have been on a more heightened alert. Who’s to say.
I find the fact that the poster above knew that lone wolf attacks aren’t really lone wolf attacks disturbing. They know as well as we do that is the real problem brewing and the fact that law enforcement agencies are wont to blow off threats or “lone wolf” attacks as one-offs is discouraging. Hopefully, things have changed with new directives from DOJ about the danger of right wing extremists, but I feel like it’s kind of too little, too late at the moment.
Welcome to Thursday! Please be excellent to each other in the comments. The Mayor McSquirrel Rule remains in effect. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, if you have not been vaccinated please consider finding time to get an appointment. If you have had only one dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, do not forget about the second dose! THIRD DOSES are now available for anyone over the age of 18! You can get any type of shot you like, provided you have already been double vaccinated. Even if you are vaccinated, please continue to maintain social distancing measures, wear masks in public areas in accordance with CDC guidelines in regard to your own vaccination status. EVEN VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS CAN STILL GET AND SPREAD IT.
