Capitol police brace for possible trucker convoy during Biden's State of the Union speech

The U.S. Capitol Police are considering whether to once again erect a temporary fence around the building as they prepare for a possible trucker convoy protest during President Joe Biden's State of the Union Speech on March 1.

“Law enforcement agencies across the National Capital Region are aware of plans for a series of truck convoys arriving in Washington, DC around the time of the State of the Union," the USCP said in a statement Friday. "As with any demonstration, the USCP will facilitate lawful First Amendment activity. The USCP is closely coordinating with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including DC’s Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Park Police, the United States Secret Service and other allied agencies to include the DC National Guard.”

“The United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service have been closely working together to plan for the upcoming State of the Union," USCP added. "The temporary inner-perimeter fence is part of those ongoing discussions and remains an option, however at this time no decision has been made.”

Axios noted that the Capitol "was rocked last year by a series of major security incidents, including the Jan. 6 riot and the Good Friday Attack, putting security officials on high alert in the face of risks."

"Capitol Police have been deployed in large numbers during protests at the Capitol and Supreme Court buildings, including a September rally protesting the treatment of Jan. 6 riot defendants," the site reported. "The Department of Homeland Security warned in a bulletin last week that truckers protesting vaccine mandates could make their way from California to Washington. D.C. for the speech. The warning came as right-wingers in the U.S., most prominently Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), have celebrated similar convoys in Canada."

“I hope the truckers do come to America, and I hope they clog up cities,“ Paul told the Washington Post.