Last summer, just a few weeks after Cassidy Hutchinson’s public testimony on Donald Trump’s response to the 2020 election loss, the January 6 committee held a meeting with Jennifer Moore, the FBI administrator overseeing intelligence in the bureau’s D.C. office during the lead-up to the Capitol attack. The committee sought to understand why the federal government was unprepared for the clear threat posed by pro-Trump conspiracy theorists who saw January 6 as their last chance to save the country.
During the interview, a committee staffer pressed Moore on the significance of Trump’s December 19 tweet, which stated, “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” It was evident to anyone with internet access in late 2020 that this tweet served as a turning point. Public social media posts showed that the far right considered it as “marching orders” and it sparked increased interest in the planned events. However, Moore hesitated to acknowledge the tweet’s role, despite its importance in the FBI’s criminal cases against Capitol rioters.
Moore’s reflexive inclination to establish a sense of parity, even where none existed, exemplifies the challenges the bureau faces in combating domestic extremism. This issue became apparent to me as I delved into thousands of pages of FBI documents, interview transcripts, and court records while writing my book, Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System.
Nearly three years have passed since the January 6 attack. The initial purpose of the January 6 committee was to examine the failures of the nation’s law enforcement institutions in planning for such an event. However, Liz Cheney and the committee’s Democrats were determined to focus public anger on the former president, resulting in the report barely addressing the issue. This is unfortunate because the country deserves accountability. January 6 could have been prevented if law enforcement had issued a stronger warning to potential rioters and implemented heightened security measures around the Capitol building.
There is no single explanation for what former FBI Director James Comey referred to as a “failure to see a threat that was in bright daylight.” Some contributing factors align with those outlined in the 9/11 Commission Report, while others are specific to the Trump presidency. In my research, I identified five key themes.
First, the FBI is generally conservative-leaning and may harbor election deniers, January 6 supporters, and even participants. Some FBI employees were associated with the events on January 6, and there were reports of sympathy within the bureau towards the group that stormed the Capitol. The FBI’s reluctance to explicitly address right-wing extremism hampers its ability to combat a significant domestic threat. Data from the Anti-Defamation League shows that right-wing extremists were responsible for the majority of extremist-related killings in recent years, highlighting the urgency of addressing this issue.
Second, distractions emerged from the Oval Office in the lead-up to the Capitol attack. Just days before the assault, the Justice Department faced internal turmoil when DOJ environmental lawyer Jeffrey Clark expressed intentions to take Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen’s job. This clash, along with the lingering aftermath of Trump’s phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, diverted attention within the department. The timing of these events prevented the Justice Department from dedicating adequate resources to addressing the threat of January 6.
Third, the year 2020 presented its challenges, not excluding FBI employees. The end of December is typically a slow period, but in 2020, the FBI faced mounting pressure. Apart from concerns over personnel changes and the impending Inauguration Day, the FBI had to deal with the SolarWinds hack, considered one of the worst hacking cases in American history. This further stretched the bureau’s resources and attention away from potential threats leading up to the Capitol attack.
In understanding the failures of January 6, it is crucial to address these key themes. Acknowledging the specific challenges within the FBI, the distractions from the Oval Office, and the timing constraints can help prevent future incidents of this nature. The nation deserves accountability, and by recognizing and rectifying these issues, we can work towards a safer future.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
