Biden admin aims to prevent Capitol riot repeat with Super Bowl levels of security for Congress on Jan 6, 2025
Amid the tense political environment heading toward November’s election, Joe Biden’s administration has designated the certification of the presidential vote in early 2025 as a “National Special Security Event” to prevent a repeat of the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made the designation, acknowledging that the once-mundane process of officially recognizing the winner of an election is now loaded with risk.
That risk is especially heightened given the role Donald Trump played in inciting his mob of supporters to march to the US Capitol in 2021 in an effort to stay in power.
Polling shows a tight race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris as he seeks to return to the White House, while baselessly maintaining that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
The January 6, 2025, counting and certification of 2024 electoral votes will now get the same level of security as the Super Bowl or UN General Assembly, according to Politico.
This is the first time such a designation has been granted for the process and follows a request made by the Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser — who was mayor at the time of 2021 Capitol riot.
Various reports, including from the House Select January 6 Committee and the Government Accountability Office, also called for Secretary Mayorkas to consider a National Special Security Event for the certification of the 2024 election.
“National Special Security Events are events of the highest national significance,” said Eric Ranaghan, the special agent in charge of the US Secret Service’s Dignitary Protective Division. “The US Secret Service, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners are committed to developing and implementing a