Report: On Jan. 6, Kamala Harris was inside DNC when pipe bomb was discovered outside
Vice President Kamala Harris was at the Democratic National Committee headquarters on Jan. 6, 2021, when a pipe bomb was found outside the building, four people familiar with the matter told Politico.
At the time, Harris was the vice president-elect, and this raises questions about her safety and security on the day of the Capitol riot. Politico obtained a copy of the Capitol Police's timeline of the day's events, which states that at 1:07 p.m., they began an investigation into the DNC pipe bomb. Seven minutes later, the Capitol Police and Secret Service evacuated a "protectee," whose name was not revealed; a White House official, former law enforcement official, and two others with knowledge of the matter told Politico that Harris was the unnamed protectee.
The timeline says that at 4:36 p.m., the DNC bomb threat was neutralized, almost an hour after a pipe bomb discovered at the Republican National Committee headquarters was neutralized. The bombs were both "viable," the FBI said, and "could have been detonated, resulting in serious injury or death." Law enforcement officials have said the same suspect planted both bombs the night before. So far, no arrests have been made.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Politico reports that in the days leading up to the inauguration, Harris would occasionally conduct nongovernment business from the DNC, which is standard practice for elected officials. When previously asked about Harris' whereabouts during the Capitol attack, her aides declined to say where she was, citing security concerns.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
How the War Department became the Department of Defense – and back againIn Depth In 1947 President Harry Truman restructured the US military establishment, breaking with naming tradition
-
Sudoku hard: December 8, 2025The daily hard sudoku puzzle from The Week
-
Codeword: December 8, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Trump tightens restrictions for work visasSpeed Read The length of work permits for asylum seekers and refugees has been shortened from five years to 18 months
-
Supreme Court revives Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read Texas Republicans can use the congressional map they approved in August at President Donald Trump’s behest
-
Boat strike footage rattles some lawmakersSpeed Read ‘Disturbing’ footage of the Sept. 2 attack on an alleged drug-trafficking boat also shows the second strike that killed two survivors who were clinging to the wreckage
-
Trump boosts gas cars in fuel economy rollbackspeed read Watering down fuel efficiency standards is another blow to former President Biden’s effort to boost electric vehicles
-
Hegseth’s Signal chat put troops in peril, probe findsSpeed Read The defense secretary risked the lives of military personnel and violated Pentagon rules, says new report
-
Trump pardons Texas Democratic congressmanspeed read Rep. Henry Cuellar was charged with accepting foreign bribes tied to Azerbaijan and Mexico
-
GOP wins tight House race in red Tennessee districtSpeed Read Republicans maintained their advantage in the House
-
Trump targets ‘garbage’ Somalis ahead of ICE raidsSpeed Read The Department of Homeland Security will launch an immigration operation targeting Somali immigrants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area
