Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is urging law enforcement to take an upcoming right-wing rally on Capitol Hill “very seriously” after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
“I think they should take it very seriously. In fact, they should take it more seriously than they took the same sort of intelligence that they likely saw on January 5,” Mr. McCabe, now a CNN contributor, told the cable news outlet late Monday.
The “Justice for J6” rally is scheduled for Sept. 18, a Saturday when lawmakers likely will be out of town.
Yet members of Congress are concerned the rally will spill into violence after supporters of former President Donald Trump beat police officers and stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.
The new rally is designed to show support for rioters jailed in connection with the January attack.
The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington told CNN it is monitoring online chatter and will be fully activated. There also has been talk of setting up fencing again near the Capitol.
Mr. McCabe told CNN that law enforcement has “a few factors leaning in their favor” ahead of the new rally.
“You don’t have a sitting president actively fanning the flames and trying to get people to attend the rally,” he said.
“From all indications, our law enforcement partners are well prepared for this one,” he added. “They seem to be taking the intelligence very seriously, which raises a question as to whether or not they did on January 6, but that’s another issue.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.