Biden's Inauguration... FBI to Vet All 25K National Guard Troops

US's FBI plans to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington to secure the inauguration day, Wednesday, as defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden’s big day.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told The Associated Press that officials are conscious of the potential threat, and he warned commanders to be on the lookout for any problems within their ranks as the inauguration approaches. So far, however, he and other leaders say they have seen no evidence of any threats, and officials said the vetting hadn’t flagged any issues that they were aware of.

”We’re continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the inpiduals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy said in an interview after he and other military leaders went through an exhaustive, three-hour security drill in preparation for Wednesday’s inauguration.

He said Guard members are also getting training on how to identify potential insider threats.

About 25,000 members of the National Guard — at least two and a half times the number for previous inaugurals - are set to take part in highly secured event which is to be attended by previous presidents, not including Trump.

McCarthy said: “We need to be conscious of it and we need to put all of the mechanisms in place to thoroughly vet these men and women who would support any operations like this.”

According to AP, FBI vetting would involve running peoples’ names through databases and watchlists maintained by the bureau to see if anything alarming comes up. "That could include involvement in prior investigations or terrorism-related concerns," said David Gomez, a former FBI national security supervisor in Seattle.

The massive undertaking reflects the extraordinary security concerns that have gripped Washington following the deadly Jan. 6 storming at the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters. It also underscores fears that some of the very people assigned to protect the city over the next several days could present a threat to the incoming president and other VIPs in attendance.