It’s hard to know how serious the threat was, but either way House Democrats’ decision was terrible for US democracy. You might have missed it, but this week the House of Representatives canceled its meetings after the Capitol police warned of “a possible plot to breach the Capitol”. Most international media did not even cover it, and this extraordinary decision barely made the front pages of most US newspapers. In fact, the Washington Post covered it in its “Metro” section. Ironically, the New York Post, a rightwing tabloid, captured the significance best with its screaming headline “House Democrats surrender to QAnon, scrap March 4 session amid fortified Capitol”. What was the alleged threat that made the Democrats decide to cancel House meetings, something that has not happened since the attacks of 9/11? Even on 6 January, when pro-Trump rioters literally attacked the US Capitol, Congress returned to its session. According to news coverage, intelligence sources told Congress there was online chatter within QAnon circles that Donald Trump was going to be inaugurated for a second term on 4 March, the original inauguration date set in the constitution. Some federal sources also believed that militia members were involved, although it is unclear whether they had actually announced or promoted violence. Unfortunately, we will likely never know the real extent of the threat; intelligence agencies operate in almost complete secrecy in the US, with little congressional oversight, and almost no transparency to the broader public. But let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that there was indeed a far-right militia or militias that were planning to ensure that the former president was “inaugurated” this March. Are we really to believe that this threat was so serious that the state could not protect one of the most important institutions of its democratic system?
via guardian: A far-right threat shut down US Congress this week. Why aren’t we talking about it?