February 22, 2021

Top Pentagon Officials 'Likely Knew' About Alleged Capitol Insurrection, Journalist Says

A photo of the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6.

Gettyimages | Samuel Corum

Journalist and former CBS News executive producer Zev Shalev claimed on Sunday that top Pentagon officials "likely knew" about the Capitol riot on January 6 that many have deemed an insurrection.

"The Secret Service knew, some of the U.S. Capitol police knew, and the Pentagon top brass likely knew," he tweeted.

"If it walks like a coup and talks like s coup - it may well have been an attempted coup."

Shalev's comment was a response to a CNN report that revealed additional claims pertaining to the events that took place on January 6.

An Accused Insurrectionist Claimed She Had Contact With The Secret Service

Gettyimages | Jon Cherry

The CNN report spotlighted claims from Jessica Watkins, a member of the right-wing extremist Oath Keepers accused of conspiracy linked to her involvement in the riot. Notably, attorneys for Watkins claimed in a new court filing that she obtained a VIP pass to the Stop the Steal Trump rally that preceded the riot and met with Secret Service agents.

Not only that, the publication said the accused claimed she was providing security for "legislators and others" on the day of the alleged insurrection.

Watkins' Claim Might Tie Trump's White House Closer To The Capitol Attack

Donald Trump staring off camera while walking.

Gettyimages | Al Drago

National political reporter Hugo Lowell noted in a Twitter thread that Watkins' new claim ties Trump's White House closer to the Capitol attack than previously believed.

One of the leaders in the Oath Keepers conspiracy in the US Capitol attack is claiming she met with Secret Service agents on Jan. 6 — tying the White House closer to the insurrection than previously known.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) February 21, 2021

Elsewhere in the thread, Lowell underlined that Watkins claimed in her recent filing that what she did was not attempting to overthrow the American government due to her belief that Trump would do so via the Insurrection Act. After this, she believed he would provide her with a "role."

Notably, Trump was previously accused of fueling the Capitol riot and was impeached for a second time for inciting insurrection.

Watkins Previously Said She Waited For Trump To 'Activate' Her Team

An imagine of the January 6 Capitol riot.

Gettyimages | Samuel Corum

As The Inquisitr reported, a previous filing revealed that Watkins claimed she waited for Trump to "activate" her team of Oath Keepers at the Capitol.

In particular, Watkins allegedly expressed concern on November 9, 2020, that the alleged insurrection was an "elaborate trap." Given her worries, she suggested that it would not be "legit" unless Trump activated her team.

Watkins is accused of working with Thomas Caldwell — another alleged member of Oath Keepers and former FBI agent — to drive the crowd of protestors outside the Capitol into the building.

The Pentagon Reportedly Limited The National Guard's Power Before The Riot

Soldiers from the United States National Guard.

Gettyimages | Drew Angerer

As reported by The Washington Post, Maj. Gen. William J. Walker — the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard — previously claimed that the Pentagon restricted his authority ahead of the Capitol riot, which stifled his ability to respond to events with military action.

"Local commanders typically have the power to take military action on their own to save lives or prevent significant property damage in an urgent situation when there isn’t enough time to obtain approval from headquarters," the publication claimed.

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