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WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Capitol Police asked the Department of Defense on Thursday to extend National Guard members' stay in Washington, D.C., to help protect the Capitol from
supporters of former President Donald Trump and other far-right extremists. Yogananda Pittman, acting chief of the Capitol Police, submitted the extension request to Defense Department
officials, the Capitol Police said Thursday in a statement. The National Guard members' current mission is scheduled to end March 12. “The USCP is extremely grateful for the Department
of Defense and the National Guard support provided since January 6th,” the statement said. “We understand the Guard has a tremendous service need back home responding to the COVID-19
pandemic.” But according to The Washington Post, the Capitol Police requested a 60-day extension for some of the 5,200 National Guard members in the District. On Wednesday, Pittman testified
before the House Legislative Branch Subcommittee that threats to members of Congress have increased by 93 percent during the first two months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.
“The Department takes its mission seriously and will do whatever is necessary to achieve that mission,” the Capitol Police said in its statement. On Jan. 6, hundreds of Trump supporters
easily broke through lines of overmatched police officers and took control of parts of the U.S. Capitol. Trump, the defeated president, had been encouraging his followers to gather in
Washington as Congress convened for a joint session to certify Joe Biden’s win in November’s presidential election. Since the Jan. 6 assault, thousands of National Guard members have been in
Washington. Reuters reported that it was highly likely the Defense Department would grant the Capitol Police's extension request. The U.S. Capitol Police force has more than 2,300
officers and civilian employees and has an annual budget of about $460 million. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who said the Capitol Police have had limited communication with the city, appeared
to be caught off-guard by the request. “It was our expectation that the additional forces would be leaving now,” the mayor said, according to The Post. “We don’t know why additional forces
have been requested until May." The request comes after law enforcement went on high alert Thursday around the Capitol after intelligence uncovered a "possible plot" by a
militia group to storm the building again. The House canceled a session on Thursday in response to the threat, while the Senate remained in session. The threat appeared to be connected to a
far-right conspiracy theory, mainly promoted by supporters of QAnon, that Trump will rise again to power on March 4 and that thousands will come to Washington to try to remove Democrats from
office. March 4 was the original presidential inauguration day until 1933, when it was moved to Jan. 20. No violence was reported at the Capitol on Thursday. Only a few Trump supporters
showed up outside the security fence currently surrounding the Capitol.