Washington: Thousands of National Guard troops will remain in Washington until mid-March amid fears a QAnon conspiracy theory that Donald Trump could still be inaugurated this week will lead to another attack on the US Capitol.
Followers of the QAnon cult have claimed Trump will reclaim the presidency on March 4, the date presidents were inaugurated up until 1933, when inauguration day was moved to January 20.
The US Capitol dome is seen past security fencing and barbed wire erected after the deadly January 6 riots.Credit:AP
Online posts about March 4 from QAnon devotees, who believe Trump is working to take down a cabal of “deep state” politicians, have caused alarm among US security officials who fear further violence could occur.
Almost 5000 National Guard troops will remain in the US capital until March 12, in part because of concerns of a repeat of the violent scenes on January 6, according to Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
The January 6 riot at the US Capitol.
“Some of these people have figured out that apparently 75 years ago, the president used to be inaugurated on March 4. Now they are thinking maybe we should gather again and storm the Capitol on March 4… that is circulating online,” he told a hearing in Congress.
“Stuff like that circulates all the time, does it mean it’s going to happen? Probably not. But if you want to help, tell them not to do that, tell them that the election is over. Joe Biden won.”
The request for 4900 National Guard troops to continue their deployments in Washington until March 12 was made by US Capitol Police, said Robert Salesses, a Pentagon official.
He said the Pentagon was not tracking any specific threats. The most significant terror threat stems from “lone offenders and small groups of individuals inspired by domestic extremist ideological beliefs, including those based on false narratives spread over social media and other online platforms”.
Suggestions for more permanent security measures around the Capitol are still under discussion by Congress.
Telegraph, London
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