Biden's inauguration rehearsal postponed due to security threats, FBI tracking 'concerning chatter' online
President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration rehearsal has reportedly been postponed due to security fears. The security concerns come after FBI director Chris Wray warned about 'concerning chatter' online. Biden's Sunday run-through was delayed to Monday with his scheduled train journey from Wilmington, Delaware, to DC being axed over the threats of violence, sources shared with Politico.
The news of the postponement was announced on Thursday night, January 14, just hours after Wray had issued a warning regarding armed violence nationwide around Biden's inauguration. During his first briefing since January 6, Wray said, "When we talk about potential threats, we have to say that we are seeing an extensive amount of concerning online chatter about a number of events surrounding the inauguration."
Biden's team has also canceled an Amtrak trip from Wilmington to Washington planned for Monday due to security concerns, reported Politico.
Washington was left shaken on January 6 after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. Trump had reportedly refused to "condemn his people" as they rioted and looted the Capitol as a means to prevent lawmakers from declaring President-elect Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 election. As a result of the violence, five people lost their lives and many were left injured.
More than 20,000 National Guard members are being deployed to the Capitol and thousands of Guardsmen have been sleeping on the floor of the building. On Wednesday, January 13, officials with the FBI, Secret Service, and National Security teams briefed Biden about the threats. Biden's transition team said, "In the week since the attack on Congress by a mob that included domestic terrorists and violent extremists, the nation has continued to learn more about the threat to our democracy and about the potential for additional violence in the coming days, both in the National Capital Region and in cities across the country."
"This is a challenge that the President-elect and his team take incredibly seriously," the team added. An Obama administration Homeland Security adviser, Lisa Monaco, is helping Biden's transition team with security issues. Biden had nominated Monaco to be the deputy attorney general but has decided to temporarily help out with advising Biden on security measures.
A Biden transition spokesperson told Politico in a statement, "Ms. Monaco will assist the President-elect and work with the incoming national security advisor, the incoming homeland security advisor, and current security and law enforcement officials, including with the United States Secret Service on their plans for the inauguration."
"Given the existing threats, Ms. Monaco’s temporary role will be focused solely on the period leading up to the inauguration," the spokesperson added.
Wray spoke at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters on Thursday, January 14, and said that his agency is "concerned about the potential for violence at multiple protests and rallies." He revealed, "Right now we're tracking calls for potential armed protests and activity leading up to the inauguration."
"We're looking at individuals who may have an eye towards repeating that same kind of violence that we saw last week. My advice to people who might be inclined to follow in the footsteps of those [in last week’s riot] is to stay home," he continued.