Alarm as 'low-flying helicopters' and simulated gunfire to engulf DC in drill: 'Red flags'

Critics raised “red flags” after the U.S. Capitol Police gave just one day’s notice of a Sunday “training exercise” at the U.S. Capitol featuring “low-flying helicopters,” emergency vehicles and the “simulated sound of gunfire” just weeks before the midterms.“Uhhhh. What,” asked Brendan Karet, a former researcher and writer for Media Matters for America, in response to the Capitol Police’s announcement.The Capitol Police is a federal law enforcement agency charged with protecting members of Congress and has expanded since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021. The agency has grown its numbers significantly over the past several years, and its budget ballooned by 20% to $1 billion for fiscal year 2027. The Capitol Police conducted similar training exercises with simulated gunfire at the U.S. Capitol, though not since last year, with the timing of the latest drill — just 16 days before the midterms — giving critics pause.“Lol, sure,” wrote animation...