Pelosi to hold security briefing ahead of Sept. 18 rally planned by Trump supporters

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has invited her fellow congressional leaders from the House and the Senate to a security briefing about a rally planned at the Capitol in support of people who were arrested during the Jan. 6 riot.

Pelosi, D-Calif., invited Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to the briefing on Sept. 13, the Monday before the rally, which is scheduled for Sept. 18, said a source familiar with the meeting.

The Jan. 6 riot was led by a group of supporters of former President Donald Trump who sought to stop the Electoral College vote count in a bid to overturn his electoral defeat. Four people died that day, and a fifth, a police officer who was later determined to have had a stroke, died the following day. Several more police officers who responded to the riot died by suicide in the intervening months.

The Justice Department has estimated that more than 500 people will ultimately be charged in relation to the riot.

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger will deliver the briefing in Pelosi’s leadership office at the Capitol. He is expected to review security preparations.

U.S. Capitol Police are planning to reinstall fencing around the Capitol building ahead of the rally, a person familiar with the discussions told NBC News on Wednesday. The news was first reported by the Associated Press. However, it is not yet clear whether the fencing will encircle just the Capitol building or the entire complex.

In a statement Wednesday, Capitol Police said the agency is prepared for the event.

“We have a robust security posture planned for September 18th. All available staff will be working,” the agency said.

The rally is, notably, on a day when Congress will not be in session — most members of Congress are not expected to be present because they generally do not work on weekends.

Pelosi said at a news conference Wednesday morning that briefings have already been taking place for the House Administration Committee. Pelosi said she will have an announcement about security preparations in the near future.

Asked whether there are plans to re-erect the fence that was installed around the Capitol’s perimeter after the Jan. 6 attack, Pelosi said: “We intend to have the integrity of the Capitol be intact. I’m not going into any specifics in that regard.”

She then briefly recounted the serious threat lawmakers faced on Jan. 6, saying people who participated in the riot were “out to kill members of Congress.”

The rally is being organized by a group called Look Ahead America, led by a former Trump campaign employee, Matt Braynard. It is scheduled for noon Sept. 18, and attendees have been told to meet near an area in front of the West Front of the Capitol.

Haley Talbot contributed.

source: nbcnews.com