January 1, J6 Hearing Targets Pipe Bomb Security Gaps

Wyatt’s Take

• National Guard pulled from key post near where a pipe bomb was placed at the RNC.
• Congress probing years-long FBI failure to catch the suspect until new leadership took over.
• Concerns raised that “optics” outweighed security, leaving the Capitol exposed.

Congress is holding its first big hearing to dig into why the National Guard was pulled from a metro station right next to the RNC the night before a pipe bomb was discovered there on January 6th. Leaders now claim those troops were sent away over “optics”—leaving the area unguarded just as danger loomed.

The subcommittee wants to know why, for years, the FBI couldn’t catch the bomber even with physical evidence on hand. Only after Director Kash Patel and his team took charge did the case move forward.

“There was a National Guard post over by the [Capitol South Metro Station], which if people aren’t familiar with DC, that’s right across the street from the RNC, where one of the pipe bombs was placed,” said Rep. Barry Loudermilk.

He explained, “They were supposed to be manning that post 24 hours, but for some reason, they were pulled off that post. If they would have been there the night that the pipe bombs were placed, it’s possible they wouldn’t have been placed or they would have caught the person, right?”

Loudermilk pointed to “optics” as the reason for the recall. “We found out that somebody didn’t like the optics of having uniform personnel within eyesight of the Capitol dome, so for optics reasons, they were pulled off their post,” he said.

The hearing is set to press the FBI over its failure to solve the bomb case until the new team fully investigated. The committee wants to know, “Why were resources pulled away instead of continuing to investigate? Did they even have this guy on their radar, which I think it’s possible that they did because of just some investigative work we did,” Loudermilk asked.

For a long time, the pipe bomb suspect was unknown, even though one device threatened Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as her motorcade passed by the DNC headquarters. Congress sharply criticized the FBI and other authorities for mishandling both the detection and response to those bombs.

The real issue at the center of the probe: key officials put political appearances above the safety of the Capitol and everyone in it. Earlier investigations found several requests for National Guard backup were shot down for the same reason, even though the risk was obvious.

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Wyatt Matters

When leadership cares more about image than protecting Americans, it puts every one of us at risk. Middle America expects accountability and real answers, not excuses. That’s what these investigations should deliver.

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