(RepublicanView.org) – The Republican National Convention’s Washington DC headquarters was temporarily evacuated and placed under lockdown on May 22 after a suspicious package was found on the site.
The package appeared to contain vials of blood. Capitol Police closed off the area so that a hazmat team could investigate and remove any potentially hazardous materials. They were assisted by the fire department and an incident response team. Nearby roads were also closed. The fluids are still being investigated. No final conclusion of their contents has been publicized.
Staff members were allowed to enter the building soon after the package was removed. Michael Whatley, the current RNC chairman, said his party remains undeterred by the incident as its efforts gear up for election season.
Several Republican senators are weighing whether they will attend the party’s convention when former president Donald Trump is expected to officially receive the party’s presidential nomination. However, some of the senators said they plan to skip over their disagreements with Trump’s views. None have publicly listed potential threats against the convention as influencing their decision not to attend.
The Trump campaign is brazenly accusing the US Secret Service of severe flaws in its security plans for the convention. He claimed rioters will be allowed close enough to the event to threaten attendees with violence. It is currently scheduled to occur in Milwaukee beginning on July 1. Current plans require attendees to traverse a park that protestors have announced plans to demonstrate at. Campaign officials claim security is insufficient to secure their protection. The RNC recently sent a letter to the Secret Service asking it to intervene and move the protest area farther away from the convention. However, the agency has argued that the city is responsible for setting protest zones.
Those attempts come months after the Department of Homeland security warned of potential threats against the RNC long before it was scheduled to begin. Brian Dorow of the DHS indicated it was an unprecedented threat.
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