Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., said Congress received a briefing which informed members that right-wing radicals plan to surround the Capitol during Democrat Joe Biden’s inauguration, CNN reported.
“They were talking about 4,000 armed ‘patriots’ to surround the Capitol and prevent any Democrat from going in,” he said to CNN’s Alisyn Camerota.
“They have published rules of engagement, meaning when you shoot and when you don’t. So this is an organized group that has a plan,” he continued. “They are committed to doing what they’re doing because I think in their minds, you know, they are patriots and they’re talking about 1776 and so this is now a contest of wills.”
Lamb’s evidence-free accusations follows a report from the FBI—whose credibility has been badly damaged after several scandals during the Trump administration—that Trump supporters are planning armed protests at all 50 state capitols, CNN reported.
Armed protests uphold the American tradition of simultaneously exercising 1st- and 2nd- Amendment rights.
Lamb said the United States should treat armed protesters as terrorists rather than citizens with God-given rights to protest and self-defense.
“We are not negotiating with or reasoning with these people,” he said. “They have to be prosecuted. They have to be stopped. And unfortunately, that includes the President, which is why he needs to be impeached and removed from office.”
These warnings come as the Democrats move to unseat Trump through the 25th Amendment or impeachment and removal.
Lamb said the federal government’s armed forces will prevent protesters from surrounding the Capitol.
“They are very strong when we are weak,” Lamb said. “That is when the mob psychology takes hold and they are emboldened, but when met with actual determined force, I think a lot of these fantasy world beliefs about what will happen when they come to Washington will melt away.”
