Secret Service to Tighten Security Measures on January 6 to Prevent New Riot

The United States Secret Service (USSS) will step up security on January 6, 2025, in an effort to “ensure the safety and security” of the upcoming Electoral College vote count at the Capitol.

The USSS confirmed the security measures in an email to Fox News Digital. The agency released a statement Wednesday saying that January 6, 2025, has been “designated as a special national security event by the Secretary of Homeland Security.”

“This designation leverages significant federal government resources, as well as state and local partners, into a comprehensive security plan,” officials said in a statement. “When an event is designated as a Special National Security Event, the U.S. Secret Service assumes its mandated role as the lead agency for designing and implementing the operational security plan.”

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has requested increased security, the agency said. The 2025 presidential inauguration, which will take place on January 20, had already been designated a special national security event.

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Trump supporters rally outside the Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. As Congress prepares to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

“This is the first time a Special National Security Event designation has been granted for an electoral vote certification and follows a request by the Mayor of DC to designate this event as a Special National Security Event,” the USSS statement read. “Various reports, including those from the January 6 House Select Committee and the Government Accountability Office, have also called on the Secretary of DHS to consider a Special National Security Event designation for future electoral vote certifications.”

In a statement, Special Agent Eric Ranaghan, head of the USSS's VIP Protection Division, said the election voting session has been designated an event “of the highest national significance.”

“The U.S. Secret Service, working with our federal, state, and local partners, is committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive, integrated security plan to ensure the safety of this event and its participants,” he said.

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Capitol Police officers stand outside the fence that has been installed around the exterior of the Capitol grounds, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

An executive steering committee, which will be comprised of “senior representatives from federal, state and local law enforcement and public safety partners,” will meet to begin the formal planning process.

The request was made in direct response to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, in which thousands of supporters of former President Trump stormed the Capitol to protest the counting of Electoral College votes.

On Tuesday night, ABC host David Muir asked Trump if he regretted January 6 during a presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, violent protesters loyal to President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, file)

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“I had nothing to do with it, other than they asked me to make a speech,” the Republican candidate responded.