WASHINGTON D.C. -- The United States Capitol Police Department said there will be increased security around the Capitol for the next few days.
“We have obtained intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday, March 4,” they announced in a statement.
A group of far right conspiracy theorists falsely claimed that former President Trump would return to the office today. March 4th was the original date for an inauguration in the Constitution.
Online posts led security officials to believe some lawmakers could be in danger.
Experts say that conspiracy theories are not new, but they do spread faster with social media.
Dr. Besti Grabe is a media professor at Indiana University and has studied the way conspiracy theories can impact political opinions.
“It could literally within seconds travel through thousands, millions of accounts,” Grabe said.
Capitol Police have asked the National Guard to remain around the Capitol for two more months citing continued security concerns.