Politics

(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers “to turn the temperature down” on Capitol Hill following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“You will hear me, as I have always done, I’m trying to turn the temperature down around here. I always do that,” Johnson told reporters on Thursday.

An emotional Johnson said, “It still doesn’t feel real to me. Charlie Kirk was a good friend of mine.”

“I’ll continue to do what I’ve always tried to do here, especially in a moment like this. We have colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are in a different place this morning than they were yesterday. People have been shaken by this event,” he said.

Several rank-and-file Republicans, however, only doubled down on their unsubstantiated claims that Democrats “caused” Kirk’s killing.

Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a close friend of Kirk, told ABC News she stands by her fiery exchange on the House floor on Wednesday night, which culminated in the Florida congresswoman shouting to Democrats who opposed a second prayer for Kirk: “Y’all caused this.”

“They use their national platforms to say that we’re fascists, that we’re going to take away their rights, that were basically demons in office,” Luna said.

When asked by ABC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Jay O’Brien if blaming Democrats turned the temperature up and not down, Luna replied, “No, it’s accountability. It calls them out for that.”

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. A manhunt is underway for the gunman. The motive of the shooter is unknown, but Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the fatal shooting a “political assassination.”

Kirk’s murder sparked horror and condemnation from Republicans and Democrats.

But Luna dismissed the bipartisan response, and said she wouldn’t apologize for her comments on the House floor.

“What were the events leading up to this? What were the statements and rhetoric responsible? Every single person here knows that was the rhetoric that caused this. And I make no apologies for yesterday,” she said.

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace went even further, saying she was “absolutely” blaming Democrats for Kirk’s killing.

“This is what the left has done to brainwash people who are already mentally ill, already mentally fragile… This is about fighting for what’s right. I mean, all he did, all he used, were his words, and he was murdered for his words,” Mace said.

While several House Republicans were quick to point the finger at Democrats, without fully knowing the shooter’s motive and noticeably omitting recent attacks on Democrats such as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the killing of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman, not all GOP lawmakers joined in.

“Everybody’s emotions are high. I’m not going to point the fingers at either party. Both parties have some guilt,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, told ABC News. “So hopefully we can, we can take a tragedy like this and try to all do better. And I think we can all do better — myself included.”

Members on both sides of the aisle reiterated concerns for their personal safety. Mace, currently running for governor of South Carolina, said she won’t be doing public events until “we have a better handle on greater security controls.”

“We always overreact. We need to react prior. Leadership is woefully ill-prepared,” Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett told reporters. He added that he’s afraid something “really bad is going to happen before we get something done up here.”

“Heck no,” Burchett said when asked if he feels safe on Capitol Hill.

On the other side of the aisle, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in floor remarks on Thursday condemned Charlie Kirk’s murder as “heinous” and “cowardly” and called for an end to political violence.

Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, also said that “finger-pointing” would not help cool tensions in the country.

“There should be no finger-pointing because this is an attack on our democracy itself. And if we fail to quell those fires, our democracy will be doomed. We should disagree. We can disagree with our ideas, but not with weapons and bloodshed and killing,” Schumer said.

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(WASHINGTON) — Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance will meet with Charlie Kirk’s family and a number of his close friends in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday, a source confirmed to ABC News.

Kirk’s casket, along with his family and friends, will then be flown to Phoenix, Arizona, aboard Air Force Two, the source also confirmed.

Vance mourned Kirk, a prominent conservative activist, in a long social media post in which he described Kirk as a “true friend.”

“The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him,” Vance wrote on X. “I am on more than a few group chats with Charlie and people he introduced me to over the years. We celebrate weddings and babies, bust each other’s chops, and mourn the loss of loved ones. We talk about politics and policy and sports and life. These group chats include people at the very highest level of our government. They trusted him, loved him, and knew he’d always have their backs.”

President Donald Trump earlier Thursday announced he will posthumously award Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people,” Trump said at the top of his remarks at a memorial event at the Pentagon to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

“We miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and courage put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on,” the president continued.

Kirk was shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Trump later that day announced his death.

A manhunt for Kirk’s killer is underway. The FBI said on Thursday it has recovered what is believed to be the weapon used by the shooter, and officials said the suspect is believed to be a college-aged individual.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the U.S. Trump said that the day of the ceremony would be announced soon, adding he thought it would surely draw a big crowd.

Trump also reporters with him at the Pentagon that he plans to speak with Kirk’s family on Thursday afternoon. Kirk is survived by his wife Erika and two young children.

The White House moved Thursday’s 9/11 ceremony at the Pentagon into the courtyard, away from the 9/11 memorial where the somber ceremony has been held for decades, in light of Kirk’s killing.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — While President Donald Trump has called for an end to political violence following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, he did not recognize or acknowledge the recent threats, violent attacks and killings of Democrats.

During his remarks Wednesday night, hours after Kirk, a conservative influencer who worked closely with Trump and his family, was killed, Trump posted a video condemning the shooting and other political violence and brought up some recent examples.

“From the attack on my life in Butler Pennsylvania last year, which killed a husband and father, to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a health care executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others, radical Left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” he said.

Trump’s comments didn’t recognize several acts of violence that affected Democratic individuals within the last year.

On June 14, a masked gunman police say was disguised as a police officer allegedly shot two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses in their homes.

Democratic State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed along with their dog, and State Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were shot and wounded.

Investigators arrested and charged Vance Luther Boelter with the shootings and alleged that he had a hit list with dozens of other targets, including other Democratic lawmakers, abortion providers and pro-choice activists.

Boelter has been charged with state and federal crimes, including murder and animal cruelty, and has pleaded not guilty.

Following the Minnesota shooting, Trump called the incident “absolutely terrible,” however, he slammed Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, and did not call him.

“I think he’s a terrible governor. I think he’s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too,” he told ABC News’ Rachel Scott on June 15.

Vice President JD Vance, Walz’s vice presidential opponent during the 2024 election, did contact the governor the day of the shooting, according to sources.

However, Trump continued to lambast the governor to the press.

“Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ Uh, the guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?” Trump told reporters on June 17.

Trump did call Walz following the Aug. 22 shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, where two children were killed and 21 others were wounded.

The Minnesota state legislators’ shooting took place two months after a Democratic governor and his family were said by police to have been targeted in their own home.

On April 13, the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion was set on fire by a suspect while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were celebrating Passover, police said.

No one was seriously hurt and the suspect, Cody Allen Balmer, turned himself in, according to the police.

Balmer allegedly told police he would have attacked Shapiro with the hammer if he happened upon the governor inside the residence, according to investigators.

Balmer has pleaded not guilty to his charges, which include terrorism.

Trump was asked about the attack a day after and said the suspect was “just a whack job.”

“The attacker was not a fan of Trump. I understand just from what I’ve read and from what I’ve been told,” said Trump, adding that he was not informed of the motive in the incident.

“The attacker basically wasn’t a fan of anybody. Probably just a whack job. And certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen,” he added.

Shapiro told reporters that Trump called him six days after the incident, and that he appreciated the call.

“He was very gracious,” Shapiro said.

Despite Trump’s lack of acknowledgment of these incidents, other Republicans have mentioned the Democratic targeting in their responses to Kirk’s shooting.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox noted Shapiro’s alleged attempted assassination and the Hortmans’ deaths during his news conference on Wednesday.

“When someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or their ideals, then that very constitutional foundation is threatened,” he said.

“Our nation is broken. We’ve had political assassinations recently in Minnesota. We had an attempted assassination of the governor of Pennsylvania. And we had an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate and former president of the United States, and now current president of the United States. Nothing I say can unite us as a country,” Cox added.

Several Democratic leaders, including former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, also put out statements condemning Kirk’s assassination.

“There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones,” Biden said.

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(WASHINGTON) — Political violence and extreme rhetoric in the United States today mirror the turbulent 1960s, but with key differences that make the current era particularly challenging, according to presidential historian Mark Updegrove.

“The 1960s were another time of great upheaval and discord and division,” Updegrove told ABC News on Thursday, one day after the fatal shooting of conservative youth leader Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. “In just five years, we saw the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and in 1968 alone, the back-to-back assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.”

As FBI agents recovered what they believed to be the murder weapon—a high-powered bolt action rifle—from a wooded area near the shooting site and continued their manhunt for the suspect, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox labeled Kirk’s death a “political assassination.”

The assassination led Updegrove to highlight a distinction between today’s political violence and that of the 1960s: The role of social media in amplifying extreme views.

“Social media gives us an opportunity to purvey extreme views from one side or the other with absolute impunity,” Updegrove said. “For social media purveyors, that enragement means engagement. It’s good for their business.”

The historian emphasized that political violence has emerged from across the ideological spectrum.

“It’s happening from all sides, not just the left,” he said. “It’s extremism that we need to prevent in this country.”

Reflecting on former first lady Lady Bird Johnson’s words, Updegrove recalled her observation that “the clash of ideas is the sound of freedom.” However, he stressed that while Americans are entitled to different views, violence is never the solution in a democracy.

Kirk’s death could have lasting implications for conservative youth movements, according to Updegrove.

“He was a leader who had great charisma and great impact,” he said, noting Kirk’s significant influence in mobilizing young voters. “He may be martyred… there might be people who rise up and try to fill that gap.”

Drawing another parallel to the civil rights era, Updegrove pointed out how movements can struggle to maintain momentum after losing charismatic leaders.

“We saw with Dr. Martin Luther King [who] was assassinated in 1968, the civil rights movement never quite was able to sustain that continued forward movement because he was such an effective leader,” he said.

Looking into the future, Updegrove emphasized the importance of national unity.

“We are a less effective nation when we are divided,” he said, expressing hope for reconciliation rather than further conflict.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump, at a memorial event at the Pentagon on Thursday on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, announced he will posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Kirk, a prominent conservative activist, was shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Trump later that day announced his death.

“Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and and an inspiration to millions and millions of people,” Trump said on Thursday.

“We miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and courage put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on,” the president continued.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the U.S. Trump said that the day of that ceremony would be announced soon, adding he thought it would surely draw a big crowd.

Trump told reporters with him at the Pentagon that he plans to speak with Kirk’s family on Thursday afternoon. Kirk is survived by his wife Erika and two young children.

A manhunt for Kirk’s killer is underway. The FBI said on Thursday it has recovered what is believed to be the weapon used by the shooter, and officials said the suspect is believed to be a college-aged individual.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced conservative activist Charlie Kirk died on Wednesday after being shot at a campus university event in Utah.

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” Trump wrote on his social media platform.

Before the announcement, Trump told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, “It’s horrific. It’s one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen.”

“He was a good man. He was an incredible guy. Nobody like him,” Trump told Karl.

Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, was a close ally to Trump and many members of his administration. Several top officials issued messages of support for Kirk and his family as news of the shooting first spread.

Vice President JD Vance shared Trump’s announcement of Kirk’s death and wrote on X, “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was “heartbroken” by Kirk’s killing.

“He was an incredible husband and father and a great American. May he rest in eternal peace with our Lord,” Rubio posted on X.

The House of Representatives held a moment of silence for Kirk on Wednesday afternoon.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers condemned the shooting.

“This is detestable,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. “Political violence has become all too common in American society, and this is not who they are.”

Johnson added, “We need every political figure, we need everyone who has a platform, to say this loudly and clearly, we can settle disagreements and disputes in a civil manner, and political violence must be pulled out, and it has to stop.”

“There is no place in our country for political violence. Period, full stop,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune wrote on X.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham called it a “sick and despicable attack.”

Former President Joe Biden said “there is no place in our country for this kind of violence.”

“It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones,” Biden said in a post on X.

“I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah,” former Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on X. “Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family. Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who earlier this year hosted Kirk for the first episode of his new podcast, called the attack “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. “

“In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X: “Political violence is NEVER acceptable. My thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk and his family.”

Gabrielle Giffords, a former Democratic congresswoman who was shot in the head during a public event in 2011, also shared a message condemning acts of political violence. Giffords later founded a national gun violence prevention group.

“I’m horrified to hear that Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah. Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence. Mark and I are praying for Charlie’s recovery,” Giffords wrote.

Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, whose husband was violently assaulted in their California home by an invader looking for Pelosi, called the shooting “horrific” and “reprehensible.”

“Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation,” Pelosi wrote on X. “All Americans should pray for Charlie Kirk’s recovery and hold the entire UVU community in our hearts as they endure the trauma of this gun violence.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump and his top administration officials are reacting after law enforcement sources said conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah on Wednesday.

“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump wrote on his social media platform.

Several top administration officials also quickly issued messages of support for Kirk, who was shot while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University.

Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, has been a close ally to Trump and many members of his administration.

“Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on X.

FBI Director Kash Patel posted that the bureau is “closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”

“Prayers for Charlie Kirk. An incredible Christian, American, and human being. May the healing hand of Jesus Christ be upon him,” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth wrote on X.

Republican members of Congress also said they are praying for Kirk.

“Please join us in praying for our good friend, Charlie Kirk,” House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X.

“This is a sick and despicable attack,” Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham posted. “I am praying for Charlie Kirk and his family. Please join me.”

Many Democrats also quickly spoke out against the shooting on Wednesday.

“I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah,” former Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on X. “Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family. Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the shooting as “disgusting.”

“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” Newsom wrote on X.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X: “Political violence is NEVER acceptable. My thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk and his family.”

Gabrielle Giffords, a former Democratic congresswoman who was shot in the head during a public event in 2011, also shared a message condemning acts of political violence.

“I’m horrified to hear that Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah. Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence. Mark and I are praying for Charlie’s recovery,” Giffords wrote.

Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, whose husband was violently assaulted in their California home by an invader looking for Pelosi, called the shooting “horrific” and “reprehensible.”

“Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation,” Pelosi wrote on X. “All Americans should pray for Charlie Kirk’s recovery and hold the entire UVU community in our hearts as they endure the trauma of this gun violence.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — A new proposed congressional map in Missouri that could allow Republicans to flip at least one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives has advanced through the state House — but Democrats remain defiant.

The Missouri House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to pass the bill containing a new congressional map, first proposed by Gov. Mike Kehoe, over the objections of Democrats who say the map is racially discriminatory and an abuse of power. The state Senate is likely to hold hearings on the bill on Thursday and could pass it as soon as Friday.

Democrats and various outside groups who oppose the Republican-led effort are planning a day of protests in and around the state Capitol on Wednesday. One non-partisan coalition of anti-map advocates plans to lead what they claim will be a march that attracts thousands of people, while the national Democratic Party is also supporting a rally on Wednesday.

“The Democratic Party is united in our commitment to defend the American people against Republicans’ war on their rights and their pocketbooks … The Democratic Party is united in our commitment to defend the American people against Republicans’ war on their rights and their pocketbooks,” Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin said in a statement.

Missouri’s entry into the mid-decade redistricting scramble encouraged by the White House has gotten praise from President Donald Trump.

Trump, in a post on his social media platform on Tuesday, praised the Missouri House passing the bill, saying “this new Map will give the wonderful people of Missouri the opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections.”

The president, who had openly advocated for Missouri and other GOP-led states to redraw their congressional maps, called on the Missouri Senate to pass it “AS IS.”

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, whose district is targeted in the map, said Tuesday at a press conference on Capitol Hill alongside the Congressional Black Caucus that the new maps were “monumentally unpopular.”

“We are at a moment where there are powers trying to place this nation into the 1950s. They’re trying to reverse the direction of the country … and I don’t know if people realize the damage and danger of what’s going on,” Cleaver added.

Missouri House Democrats sounded a sad and defiant note in a press conference Tuesday, acknowledging they had no real way to stop the vote but arguing that the fight continues in the state Senate and beyond.

“We knew coming into this special session, we would lose. We knew that, but we showed up, and we will keep showing up, because the fight didn’t end today. There’s a lot of fight left. Missouri is just the latest, but it’s happening all over the country,” state House Minority Leader Ashley Aune told reporters.

Aune said she expects the map to go to a citizens referendum as soon as it passes the Senate. According to St. Louis Public Radio, opponents of the bill can try to gather enough signatures in most of the state’s congressional districts to force a statewide vote on the bill, although there are no guarantees this will be successful.

During Tuesday’s debate on the bill in the House, Republicans defended their authority to redraw congressional districts mid-decade.

“We may alter districts at any point. Being the case, it is totally appropriate this body, feeling this is a superior map to the current one, would pass it,” state Rep. Dirk Deaton, who sponsored the bill, said.

“Republicans do a better job of governance, both at the local level, the state level and the federal level. This is a great opportunity to see the districts more adequately represented in our federal government. We are a conservative state … we are a conservative state, and the voters of Missouri have elected that form of governance time and time again,” Rep. Brian Seitz said.

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(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Secret Service hosted what officials say was one of the nation’s largest civil disturbance unit trainings, with more than 600 officers taking part.

The exercise, held Friday at the James J. Rowley Training Center in Laurel, Maryland, drew officers from more than a dozen state, county and city agencies, with other federal partners including National Guard and Homeland Security observing the drills — an effort formed by the security concerns of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Capitol Police Officer Aaron Davis, who responded on Jan. 6, helped lead the exercises.

“We want it to be as real as possible, we wanted this to be the environment where we make our mistakes,” he said. “We want to be able to say, ‘Hey, this is what we did wrong, this is what we need to correct.’”

Capitol Police Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher said the agency is preparing for unprecedented dangers.

“We’ve taken lessons of the past, incorporated them into these scenarios, the goal with this is to be proactive, not reactive, to be ready for anything that should occur on Capitol grounds,” Gallagher said.

The training marked the third joint exercise between Capitol Police and the Secret Service, according to law enforcement leaders.

Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said the event has helped strengthen interagency ties.

“Training like this is incredibly important; this is the opportunity to build relationships,” Sullivan said.

Officers rotated through seven scenario-based drills, including a simulated riot where protesters hurled wooden blocks meant to simulate bricks, bottles and trash while chanting. Trainers also staged simultaneous situations, such as protecting a lawmaker while confronting a suspicious man nearby who turned out to have a gun.

The training featured drones, bike and foot patrols, and armored officers with shields and batons. A Secret Service mobile command vehicle with satellite internet coordinated responses across multiple radio frequencies and even had the capability to deploy its own drone.

Both agencies emphasized that they continue to meet with advocacy groups before, during and after demonstrations. Capitol Police also highlighted its new “dialogue unit,” which works with protest organizers ahead of events to ensure demonstrations remain peaceful while maintaining better communication with advocacy groups for safer outcomes.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Secret Service hosted what officials say was one of the nation’s largest civil disturbance unit trainings, with more than 600 officers taking part.

The exercise, held Friday at the James J. Rowley Training Center in Laurel, Maryland, drew officers from more than a dozen state, county and city agencies, with other federal partners including National Guard and Homeland Security observing the drills — an effort formed by the security concerns of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Capitol Police Officer Aaron Davis, who responded on Jan. 6, helped lead the exercises.

“We want it to be as real as possible, we wanted this to be the environment where we make our mistakes,” he said. “We want to be able to say, ‘Hey, this is what we did wrong, this is what we need to correct.’”

Capitol Police Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher said the agency is preparing for unprecedented dangers.

“We’ve taken lessons of the past, incorporated them into these scenarios, the goal with this is to be proactive, not reactive, to be ready for anything that should occur on Capitol grounds,” Gallagher said.

The training marked the third joint exercise between Capitol Police and the Secret Service, according to law enforcement leaders.

Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said the event has helped strengthen interagency ties.

“Training like this is incredibly important; this is the opportunity to build relationships,” Sullivan said.

Officers rotated through seven scenario-based drills, including a simulated riot where protesters hurled wooden blocks meant to simulate bricks, bottles and trash while chanting. Trainers also staged simultaneous situations, such as protecting a lawmaker while confronting a suspicious man nearby who turned out to have a gun.

The training featured drones, bike and foot patrols, and armored officers with shields and batons. A Secret Service mobile command vehicle with satellite internet coordinated responses across multiple radio frequencies and even had the capability to deploy its own drone.

Both agencies emphasized that they continue to meet with advocacy groups before, during and after demonstrations. Capitol Police also highlighted its new “dialogue unit,” which works with protest organizers ahead of events to ensure demonstrations remain peaceful while maintaining better communication with advocacy groups for safer outcomes.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.