A report revealed Wednesday there’s bipartisan concern amid U.S. lawmakers that next week’s election may incite another round of political chaos or violence in Washington.
That Axios report, which cited more than a dozen representatives, comes on the heels of U.S. Capitol police ramping up security to an “unprecedented” level, as Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) explained it to the website.
The added security protocols include the U.S. military and Capitol officers conducting a highly-visible “casualty evacuation exercise” on Monday that saw three helicopters land next to the building that houses Congress. There’s also been a large fence erected around the Capitol complex.
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Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) said her fears that there may be another round of violence akin to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot is something that sits on her mind regularly.
“If [Trump] wins, he and his violent supporters will be emboldened. And if he loses, I worry they will be worse than four years ago,” she told Axios. “I think about it a lot.”
Others Democrats described their feelings to Axios similarly. Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) said there’s “a heightened threat environment here” and that lawmakers are remaining “vigilant.” Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH) said members aren’t just concerned about their own safety, but also that of their families.
An anonymous House Democrat told Axios they’re “extremely” concerned about violence on Election Day. So much so, they said they shelled out on hiring six state troopers to provide security at an election night event—much more than previous elections.
On the other side of the aisle, Republicans told Axios they believe there will be rioting by Harris supporters if Trump wins. Reps. Jim Banks and Don Bacon, of Indiana and Nebraska respectively, both pointed to violent riots on Trump’s inauguration day in 2017 that ended with six cops injured and 217 protesters arrested in Washington.
“I think there’s a very good chance they will do it again,” Banks told Axios.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) told Axios that governors across the country should have their national guard units “ready to go on a moment’s notice to quell any type of civil unrest.” He added, “They better have [the Capitol] locked down” on inauguration day.
There’s already been some concerning incidents in the election’s build-up, including ballot drop boxes being set ablaze and tense confrontations in public. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) told Axios he recently experienced a warning sign first hand when he was verbally assaulted by Trump supporters as he dined out in his home state.
“The mood out there is harsh,” he told Axios.
Swing states are also preparing for potential chaos. Reuters reported this week that Philadelphia’s ballot-counting will take place downtown in a warehouse that is surrounded by fencing topped with barbed wire. In Detroit and Atlanta, election offices have had bullet-proof glass installed to protect election workers.
Daniel Baxter, Detroit’s chief operating officer for absentee voting, told the wire service that his office is preparing “for a riot.”
“We just want to make sure that we have planned for the worst as we hope for the best,” he said.
Perhaps all-the-more grim, election workers in Wisconsin have been put through de-escalation trainings and have had their polling stations redesigned to have escape routes should they become overwhelmed by violent protesters.
In the small town of Caswell, Wisconsin, the clerk Tamaney “Sam” Augustin told Reuters that she shifted poll workers so they faced—rather than sat next to—the door where voters enter. Now, she said, the poll workers will have two exits directly behind them so they can make a quit escape if needed.
“We’ve never had anything happen,” she said, “but we live in a different world now.”
