Police and the FBI are on high alert over a 'possible plot to breach the Capitol' as a QAnon conspiracy theory about March 4 being the 'true inauguration day' looms
- Capitol Police said they have made "significant security upgrades" ahead of March 4.
- QAnon believers have said March 4 is the "true inauguration day."
- Capitol Police said they have received a "possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group."
The US Capitol Police Department said they received of a "possible threat" of militia members storming the US Capital amid heightened security around March 4, a date QAnon followers have falsely claimed to be the "true inauguration day" for former President Donald Trump.
"We have obtained intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday, March 4," Capitol Police said in a statement. "We have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers."
The statement said law enforcement is taking the threat "seriously," but would not release any further information about the possible threat over concerns of its "sensitive nature."
The FBI has also said it would be on high alert after becoming aware of far-right discussions about March 4.
The National Guard is still present at the Capitol, and Timothy P. Blodgett, the acting House sergeant-at-Arms, said in an internal memo obtained by NBC News that his office is working with Capitol Police to monitor potential demonstrations, and said there are plans for "additional personnel."
While the March 4 conspiracy theory has been co-opted by QAnon, it's rooted in theories promoted by the obscure sovereign-citizen movement, a group of otherwise disconnected Americans who believe the US government is illegitimate.
Some people in the movement believe March 4 is the real inauguration date, simply because all presidents were sworn in on that date before the 20th Amendment in 1933.
And now that QAnon's theory that Trump would again become president on January 20 did not come true, followers turned their sights to March 4 as the "true inauguration day."
Several suspected QAnon followers took part in the January 6 insurrection, during which rioters in support of Trump stormed the US Capitol as Congress debated over the Electoral College votes in the 2020 presidential election.
Among them is Douglas Jensen, who's accused of leading a mob of rioters toward Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, and Jake Angeli, also known as the QAnon Shaman.
Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman, meanwhile, said on Thursday that threats received by members of Congress were up 93% in the first two months of 2021, and that there was a 118% increase to total threats between 2017 and 2020.
Five people died in the January 6 riot, including a Capitol Police officer. In the weeks since, more than 300 people have been charged in the insurrection.