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Protesters planning to blockade inauguration checkpoints, 'party' outside Pence home

Audio of protest group's plans to disrupt Trump inauguration

An anti-Donald Trump group is planning massive disruptions for next week's inauguration covering everything from "blockades" at security checkpoints to a "dance party" outside VP-elect Mike Pence's house, according to group leaders as well as newly obtained audio of their apparent plans.
The organization #DisruptJ20 already announced at a press conference Thursday its various plans to wreak havoc at Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration and in the days leading up to it.
A conservative group also shared with FoxNews.com what it said was audio from a Jan. 8 #DisruptJ20 meeting at a Washington church, giving even greater insight into the group's planned D.C. "shutdown."
The audio, recorded by Trevor Loudon with Capital Research Center, purports to show a female member detailing plans to "do everything we can to try and stop people from being able to access the inauguration."
This begins with what was described as a "pure dance party at Mike Pence’s house" on Jan. 18.
"It’s his last few days living in Chevy Chase before he moves into the vice presidential residence, and we’re going to send him off with a bang," the woman says in the audio.
Then she says the group is turning its attention toward the pro-Trump "DeploraBall" the following day, which she describes as the "alt-right neo-Nazi ... party to celebrate Trump."
"We're gonna crash it," she says.
That takes the group into inauguration morning, when members say they plan to block entrance points as well as roads and transportation.
"We’re going to be doing blockades," the woman says in the audio. "We’re going to [be] blockading checkpoints into the security zones. We're also going to be blockading roads and other modes of transit into the city."
At 10 a.m. that day, the group is planning an "anti-Capitalist, anti-fascist bloc" that "will be an unpermitted march that will be leaving from Logan Square."
A #DisruptJ20 spokeswoman confirmed to FoxNews.com on Friday that the group laid out these plans at the Jan. 8 meeting, which she described as public and well-attended.
Defending the group's agenda, she said: "We're exercising our freedom of speech and really want to set a tone for the next few years that there's a massive body of people ... who are very concerned about the dangerous direction Donald Trump is taking our country in."
The Jan. 8 remarks also track with what members said at Thursday's press conference.
#DisruptJ20 members openly described plans to blockade checkpoints. One organizer told Fox News he hopes to “turn the inauguration into as big of a clusterf--- as possible.”
Another group, ANSWER Coalition, is also planning to protest the inauguration but with a somewhat different agenda. The group said it's galvanizing tens of thousands of people at permitted locations -- like Freedom Plaza and the Navy Memorial -- to march and protest in a more traditional way.
The #DisruptJ20 audio was obtained by Dangerous Documentaries, a project of the Capital Research Center, as part of its upcoming documentary on left-wing protesters, "America Under Siege: Civil War 2017." The film is set for release before Inauguration Day. 

Wasserman Schultz grills FBI chief over Russian hacking issue in closed-door meeting

The former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee who was forced to step down last year over her own leaked emails grilled FBI Director James Comey Friday during a closed-door meeting on alleged Russian interference during the election, Fox News confirmed.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., served as chairwoman the for over five years but decided to step down in July amid fallout over leaked emails indicating an anti-Bernie Sanders bias in her operation.
The closed-door meeting included intelligence chiefs and members of Congress.
The Hill reported that it was tense. At one point, one Democrat yelled, “You let us down!”
The main question was why Comey withheld information about the hacking scandal from its members.
"Essentially Debbie asked, how was it that the FBI knew that the DNC was being hacked and they didn’t tell her? He gave some bulls--t explanation, ‘That’s our standard, we called this one, we called that one’ — [she said] ‘Well, why didn’t you call me?’ ” one Democrat told The Hill.
Wasserman Schultz said in a statement that she would not discuss what occurred in the classified meeting. Comey reportedly seemed “unflinching” and was criticized by Rep. Nancy Pelosi for being “condescending to members.”
Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., who was on "The O'Reilly Factor" Friday said he hopes investigators determine if any Americans played a role in the Russian hacking.
President-elect Donald Trump was briefed last week on intelligence community findings about Russian hacking and other meddling during the campaign that allegedly included the breach and leak of emails from Democratic official accounts.
Some Democrats say the alleged influence benefitted Trump’s campaign. They are also bothered by Comey’s handling to the Clinton email probe and his announcement-- 11 days before the election-- to reopen the investigation.
Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, summed up the meeting: “Their questions and comments seemed to make the case that Hillary Clinton would be president if it were not for hacking.”

Democratic Rep. Lewis: Trump not a 'legitimate president'

Another little snowflake.

Democratic Rep. John Lewis said in an upcoming interview that he's does not consider Donald Trump a "legitimate president," and blamed the Russians for helping the Republican win the White House.
"You know, I believe in forgiveness. I believe in trying to work with people. It will be hard. It's going to be very difficult. I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president," Lewis said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that will air on Sunday.
The Georgia congressman and leader in the civil rights movement of the 1960s said he will skip next week's inauguration of Trump at the Capitol, joining several other Democrats who have decided to boycott the historic event.
"I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton," Lewis said.
U.S. Intelligence agencies have said Russia meddled in the election to help Trump win. After spending weeks challenging that assessment, Trump finally accepted that the Russians were behind the election-year hacking of Democrats that roiled the White House race. However, he also emphasized that "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines."
Lewis explained his decision to stay away from the inauguration as "you cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right."
He said it will be the first inauguration he has missed in three decades, a time that includes Democrats and Republicans taking the oath of office.
Other Democratic lawmakers who have announced plans to skip the inauguration include Reps. Barbara Lee of California, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Luis Gutierrez of Illinois. They cite an array of reasons, but have one at least one thing in common. All represent heavily Democratic districts.

‘VERY UNUSUAL’ Head of DC National Guard to step down during inauguration

The head of the District of Columbia National Guard has been ordered to step down immediately after President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

 Maj. Gen. Errol Schwartz will be stepping down at 12:01 p.m. on Jan. 20, just after Trump is sworn in, Maj. Byron Coward, a guard spokesman said.

Secret Service training in high gear ahead of Inauguration Day

Schwartz, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, told The Washington Post in an interview "the timing is very unusual" but that he's following orders.

Unlike the commanders of state-level National Guard units, the head of the District's National Guard serves at the pleasure of the president. At the time Schwartz departs, he will be in the midst of commanding thousands of Guard troops from the District and around the country who are providing support for the inauguration.

“My troops will be on the street,” he said in an interview, according to the paper. “I’ll see them off, but I won’t be able to welcome them back to the armory.” He went on to say that he would “never plan to leave a mission in the middle of a battle.”

Phil Mendelson, the D.C. Council chairman, criticized the move.

“It doesn’t make sense to can the general in the middle of an active deployment,” Mendelson told The Post. He added that Schwartz’s sudden departure will be a long-term loss for the District. “He’s been really very good at working with the community, and my impression was that he was good for the Guard.”

The Post reported that there have been contradictory stories about the behind-the-scenes developments leading to the decision. A person close to the Trump transition team reportedly said transition officials wanted to keep him, but the Army pushed for a replacement. Schwartz reportedly said the orders came in an email from the Pentagon. He will be replaced by a brigadier general at 12:01 p.m.

Maj. Gen. Errol Schwartz