The acting head of the Justice Department said Tuesday that there will be “no tolerance whatsoever” for those who seek to disrupt President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20.
In the wake of the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said during a brief, unlisted video posted to the Justice Department’s YouTube channel that the assault was “an intolerable, shocking and tragic episode in our nation’s history.”
He had a warning for those looking to act violently in the nation’s capital next week.
“We will have no tolerance whatsoever for any attempts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power on Jan. 20, that our constitution calls for. We will have no tolerance for any attempts to forcefully occupy government buildings,” Rosen said.
“There will be no excuse for violence, vandalism, or any other form of lawlessness.”
He asked for the public’s help in reporting any criminal activity or plans for violent activity to the FBI.
“The Department of Justice will seek to hold any violators accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Any wrongdoers will be caught, and they will be accountable,” Rosen said.
A Department of Defense official has told CBS News that the threat level at the Capitol is “very high” right now — “higher than has been reported.”
Roughly 2,000 National Guard troops are at the Capitol as of Wednesday, and they are authorized to carry arms, though not all of them are armed.
In addition, a 7-foot-tall “non-scalable” fence was built around the Capitol complex last week, and widespread street closures lock down a large swath of D.C. a week before President-elect Joe Biden is set to be sworn in from the Capitol steps.
Watch Rosen’s video below.
CBS News contributed to this report.
