SECONDS FROM CATASTROPHE

Lawmakers Say It’s ‘Dumb Luck’ More Weren’t Killed at Capitol Riot After Shocking Police Briefing

The chief of the Capitol Police told lawmakers Tuesday that the department knew of a “strong potential for violence,” but failed to act.

Members of Congress have voiced their disbelief after a briefing from Capitol Police laid out the long list of ways they failed to prepare for the Jan. 6 riot—despite knowing days ahead of time that angry pro-Trump extremists could turn violent and target lawmakers. Acting chief of the Capitol Police, Yogananda D. Pittman, told lawmakers Tuesday that the department knew of a “strong potential for violence,” but failed to take pre-emptive action and then struggled to respond after the riot erupted. House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) told CNN that members were “shaking their heads in disbelief” during the briefing, and asked: “A question that I have, and one that I think we need to get to the bottom of, is who made the decision not to act?” Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) told the network: “It was only by pure dumb luck that elected officials, staffers and more Capitol policemen were not killed.”