The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
Exclusive

Dozens of people on FBI terrorist watch list came to D.C. the day of Capitol riot

January 14, 2021 at 2:34 p.m. EST
Supporters of President Trump mob the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. (Evelyn Hockstein for The Washington Post)

Dozens of people on a terrorist watch list were in Washington for pro-Trump events Jan. 6, a day that ended in a chaotic crime rampage when a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, according to people familiar with evidence gathered in the FBI’s investigation.

The majority of the watch-listed individuals in Washington that day are suspected white supremacists whose past conduct so alarmed investigators that their names had been previously entered into the national Terrorist Screening Database, or TSDB, a massive set of names flagged as potential security risks, these people said. The watch list is larger and separate from the “no-fly” list the government maintains to prevent terrorism suspects from boarding airplanes, and those listed are not automatically barred from any public or commercial spaces, current and former officials said.