A pair of pipe bombs were discovered at the headquarters at the Republican National Committee, fueling speculation that the individuals who stormed the US Capitol may not have been part of the mostly peaceful “Stop the Steal” protests taking place throughout Washington, DC.
RNC security forces discovered the bombs, which authorities detonated as part of a controlled explosion, media sources reported. Most RNC staffers were out of town at the party’s winter meeting in Florida.
New – an explosive device was found at the RNC and detonated safely. https://t.co/dbL5U41ZSo
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 6, 2021
The Democratic National Committee and the Capitol both were also being investigated.
The RNC attack, however, raised questions over the motivations of the protesters, which some conservative Trump allies echoed.
— jujubean (@jujubea92330765) January 6, 2021
Images surfaced on social media that purported to show prominent protestors from the Capitol protest present at prior protests in support of Black Lives Matter.
Some also wondered how the protesters were able to cross over at least four layers of barriers to gain access to the building, where the joint session of Congress was in progress at the time.
“There was nobody to stop them,” Fox News commentator Donna Brazile, a Democrat, observed.
Those suspicious seemed to unite members of the Right and Left, both of whom agreed that the unusual circumstances didn’t quite add up.
Striking images showed police at 5:30 p.m. pushing back protesters as some held the iconic “Blue Lives Matter” flag, showing the inconsistency in the violence with the outrage that many Trump supporters have expressed over leftist anarchist groups committing acts of violence.
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., from a secure, undisclosed location with other congressional leaders, expressed hope that Congress might reconvene to complete the process of counting the Electoral College vote.
