FBI reportedly vetting National Guard troops in D.C. amid fears of insider attack

According to the Associated Press, the FBI is vetting all 25,000 National Guard members that have been stationed in the nation’s capital for Inauguration Day after concerns of a possible insider attack. U.S. Defense Officials told the AP there has been no evidence of any threats or issues found.

Moreover, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said they will be conducting second and third investigations of everyone involved in the operation and revealed that intelligence reports suggest that groups are organizing armed rallies leading up to Inauguration Day, and possibly after that.

National Guard members have been stationed in Washington D.C. since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

According to McCarthy, some service members in the military attended the pro-Trump rally at the capitol Jan. 6, but it’s not clear how many were there or who may have participated in the Capitol riot. So far, a few active-duty or National Guard members have been arrested in connection with the Capitol assault, the AP has reported.

The key goal, McCarthy said, is for America’s transfer of power to happen without incident.

“This is a national priority. We have to be successful as an institution,” McCarthy told the AP. “We want to send the message to everyone in the United States and for the rest of the world that we can do this safely and peacefully.”