Capitol Police Arrest Suspicious ‘Man Who Could Have Been a Danger’ While Trump Was Meeting with Senators

As President-elect Donald Trump was visiting the U.S. Capitol, police responded to an incident nearby in which a man attempted to set a car on fire.

According to the United States Capitol Police, police were alerted to a man trying to set a car on fire near the Grant Memorial on Wednesday.

Police said the incident took place at about 5:30 p.m. According to Fox News, that was around the time that Trump met with Republican senators. Trump also paid his respects to former President Jimmy Carter, who was lying in state.

In a post on X, journalist Ryan Saavedra wrote, “A grounds crew worker saw him trying to light something on fire in his car & when asked what he was doing he allegedly said: ‘I have napalm and I’m trying to light it on fire.’”

SCOOP: US Capitol Police have arrested a man at Grant Memorial after getting a suspicious vehicle report

A grounds crew worker saw him trying to light something on fire in his car & when asked what he was doing he allegedly said:”I have napalm and I’m trying to light it on fire”

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) January 8, 2025

The Capitol Police release said that the man had lit a bag on fire on top of the car. The fire went out as police approached and arrested the man. He was charged with Unlawful Activities.

The vehicle had been spray-painted, police said, and accelerants were found in the bag.

Police said the man was 35 years old and from Virginia. His name was not released.

The Hazardous Incident Response Division of the Capitol Police checked the vehicle and decided it did not represent a danger.

“Twice today our officers stopped a man who could have been a danger to the Capitol Hill community,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. “This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security.”

Earlier in the day, a man was arrested after trying to bring a machete and knives into the Capitol, according to the Capitol Police.

Three knives were also found in the bag, along with the machete. Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center while we investigated.

— The U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) January 8, 2025

During bag screening at the Capitol Visitor Center, the machete and knives were spotted, leading to the arrest of Mel J. Horne, 44, of Washington, D.C., who was charged with several counts of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon.

“Our officers know they cannot let their guard down for one second,” Manger said. “It is this constant focus and attention to detail that helps keep this campus safe.”

Thousands file into the US Capitol to pay respects to former President Jimmy Carter. @7NewsDC pic.twitter.com/ObFmNrtws7

— Jay Korff (@Jay7News) January 8, 2025

The incident led to a one-hour pause in screening to allow individuals to enter the Capitol, where thousands paid their respects to Carter.

Capitol police said, they do not believe the incidents are linked.

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