The U.S. Secret Service learned of a threat to House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) days before the Jan. 6 insurrection but failed to pass that information along until hours after the Capitol was breached, according to newly revealed emails.
Emails obtained by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington showed that Secret Service agents discovered a Parler account on Jan. 4, 2021, that posted a series of violent threats against the House speaker and Joe Biden, but the agency did not share them with law enforcement until more than five hours after Donald Trump supporters broke into the Capitol.
“Good afternoon, The US Secret Service is passing notification to the US Capitol Police regarding discovery of a social media threat directed toward Speaker Nancy Pelosi," the agency said in a message sent at 5:55 p.m. that day.
On Dec. 31, 2020, the account referred to the day Congress certified Biden's win as "#1776 all over again" and listed a series of enemies, including Pelosi, and encouraged fellow Trump supporters to keep their "MAGA gear hidden" until they had checked into hotels and be wary of both police and locals.
“DC is very BLUE and a hotbed for ANTIFA/BLM. Stay with the large group, especially at night,” said the account's owner, who appears to have operated profiles using the same name on Twitter, MeWe, Bitchute, Youtube and Facebook.
The threats became more specific closer to Jan. 6, when the account targeted the president-elect.
“Biden will die shortly after being elected,” the account posted Jan. 6. “Patriots are gonna tear his head off. Prison is his best case scenario.”
“We’re all on a mission to save America. Lone wolf attacks are the way to go,” read another post from the following day. “Stay anonymous. Stay alive. Guns up Patriots!!”
Other emails obtained by CREW show the Secret Service learned of threats against vice president Mike Pence but failed to act.
The Secret Service later deleted text messages and other messages from Jan. 6, when Trump allegedly assaulted an agent who refused to drive him to the Capitol to join his supporters, and the House select committee is increasingly interested in the agency's response to threats against Pence and other elected officials.
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