Welcome to Pushback. I'm Erin Mate. The Senate is preparing for the impeachment trial of former

President Trump on allegations that he incited the mob on January 6th at the Capitol. But President

Trump is not the only person who faces potential accountability.

Questions still remain over how the massive U.S. national security state allowed the mob to

happen. Well, joining me now is Bill Arkin. He is a veteran reporter who has written a dozen

books on national security issues, and he has been covering the violence at the mob for Newsweek magazine.

Bill Arkin, welcome to pushback.

Thanks for having me on, Aaron.

So you actually were to piece two days before the mob attack for Newsweek called Threat of Pro-Trump Violence in Washington

overshadows inauguration security plans.

From what you gathered from your reporting,

what was the sense from law enforcement officials

about what was going to happen and their level of preparation?

Well, there were multiple things going on over the weekend happen and their level of preparation.

Well, there were multiple things going on over the weekend before the Wednesday, January 6th, insurrection. First of all, there was a lot of finger pointing, which to me as a reporter always

tells me that they're an absolute disarray, a finger pointing from

the FBI at the Department of Homeland Security for being irrelevant and partisan and unready,

finger pointing from the military to the D.C. government, which I thought was really odd,

but there was a sort of almost racist put down of the D.C. government, which I thought was really odd, but there was a sort of almost racist put down of the D.C. government

that somehow they weren't ready,

when in fact they turned out to be the most ready of all.

Everybody was pointing at the U.S. Capitol Police

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