PRESIDENT-Elect Joe Biden’s inauguration rehearsal has reportedly been postponed amid security fears – after FBI Director Chris Wray warned of "concerning chatter" online.
Biden's Sunday run-through has been pushed back to Monday and his scheduled train journey from Wilmington, Delaware, to D.C has been axed over threats of violence, sources told Politico.
The postponement reported on Thursday night came hours after Wray warned of possible armed violence nationwide around Biden’s inauguration.
“When we talk about potential threats, we have to say about that we are seeing an extensive amount of concerning online chatter about a number of events surrounding the inauguration,” Wray said in his first briefing since the Jan. 6 riot.
Law enforcement officials have locked down the Capitol building and area since President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the building last week to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s win.
More than 20,000 National Guard members are being deployed to the Capitol and thousands of Guardsmen have already been sleeping on the floor of the building.
On Wednesday, officials with the FBI, Secret Service and national security teams briefed Biden about the security threats.
“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,” Biden’s transition team stated.
“This is a challenge that the President-elect and his team take incredibly seriously.”
Lisa Monaco, an Obama administration Homeland Security adviser, is helping Biden’s transition team with security issues.
Biden nominated Monaco to be deputy attorney general, but she has put her work around that on hold to temporarily advise Biden on security measures.
“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,” a Biden transition spokesperson told Politico in a statement.
“Given the existing threats, Ms. Monaco’s temporary role will be focused solely on the period leading up to the inauguration.”
More to follow…
For the latest news on this story keep checking back at Sun Online.
The Sun is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Download our fantastic, new and improved free App for the best ever Sun Online experience. For iPhone click here, for Android click here.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunUS.
Source: Read Full Article