Capitol Hill violence: At least 25 domestic terrorism probes launched, were military members involved in riots?
American politics witnessed its lowest point in history last week when several supporters of President Donald Trump barged into the Capitol Hill building when the Congress met to certify the Electoral College votes certifying the victory of Democrat Joe Biden. The incident saw Trump and those GOP lawmakers who backed his mission to overturn the 2020 presidential elections facing a backlash and it has been reported that at least 25 people were under probe for terrorism related to the January 6 chaos at the Capitol.
USA Today on Sunday, January 10, cited Colorado Democratic Representative Jason Crow saying that he spoke with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy who told him that “at least 25 domestic terrorism cases have been opened as a result of the assault on the Capitol”.
Crow tweeted about his call with McCarthy saying: “I spoke with Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy about the military response to the January 6 Capitol attack and ongoing security measures.” He also posted the summary of his call with the top defense official.
Moments ago, I spoke with Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy about the military response to the January 6 Capitol attack and ongoing security measures.
— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) January 10, 2021
Here are the notes from my call: pic.twitter.com/WB155iJoJn
The report also said that a defense official, who was informed about the call initially, confirmed that the cases involved soldiers but later revised the statement. According to the official, some troops -- active and reserve duty -- may have been involved in riot and the army will probe into them as deemed necessary.
“There is concern that military members may have been involved in the riot,” the official was quoted by Today as saying.
Those facing investigation for domestic terrorism are suspected of particiapting on the insurrection that shut the Congress down. Five lives, including that of a police officer, were lost in the clashes after the Trump supporters overpowered the security lines.
“We are engaged in identifying all of those who took part in breaching the Capitol, regardless of their affiliation,” justice department spokesman Marc Raimondi said Sunday.
According to Crow, a former Army Ranger, the Pentagon has also been asked to review all the members who will feature in the security detail for the Inauguration Day to ensure that they are “not sympathetic to domestic terrorists”.
Rioters being fired by their employers
Rioters who were identified to have part in the breach of the Capitol were also being fired by their respective employees. Firms across the nation were busy removing staff members who were involved in the violence, including lawyers to real-estate agents. Even a top boss of a company was not spared.
More than 90 people have been arrested since Wednesday’s violence as people on social media have been frantically trying to identify rioters who were photographed or filmed at the Capitol. They were then putting pressure on employers of those people to sack them. One among the identified is Bradley Rukstales, the CEO of Chicago-based data analytics firm Cogensia, who was fired by the company on Friday, January 8.
Trump himself faced a major backlash after the event with major social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook banning him and academic institutions rescinding honorary degrees that they gave the president in the past. Voices were also heard across the political aisle to impeach Trump in just a few days he has left in office.