Washington, D.C. – March 9, 2025 – A security incident unfolded at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, just hours before President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated State of the Union (SOTU) address to a joint session of Congress. According to Tarik Johnson, a former U.S. Capitol Police Lieutenant turned whistleblower, a House staffer managed to enter one of the House office buildings connected to the Capitol while in possession of a firearm. The staffer was subsequently apprehended and arrested, but the breach has sparked significant concerns about security protocols surrounding high-profile congressional events.
In a series of urgent posts on X on March 7, 2025, Johnson broke the news, stating, “I was going to wait until Monday for this but things are developing rapidly so I must inform the public now.” He detailed the incident, noting that the staffer gained entry into a building that serves as a conduit to the Capitol itself, armed with a gun. “That staffer was in possession of a gun. He was eventually caught and arrested,” Johnson wrote, citing sources who informed him of the event. What has amplified the gravity of this breach, however, is the staffer’s alleged response post-arrest. Johnson claimed, “What makes the problem even worse I’m told the staffer asked (after his arrest) what the problem was with this as no one said anything to him about him bringing the gun in the previous day.”
This revelation suggests a potential lapse in security screening, raising questions about how the staffer was able to bring a firearm into a Capitol-adjacent building undetected on Monday, March 3, only to repeat the act the following day with apparent impunity until his arrest. The incident occurred on the eve of Trump’s SOTU address, a moment of heightened national attention and security, amplifying the stakes of such a breach.
Tarik Johnson’s Account and Credibility
Tarik Johnson, who resigned from the U.S. Capitol Police after over 23 years of service following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, has positioned himself as a vocal critic of security lapses within the agency. His firsthand account of this incident, as reported in his X posts and echoed by outlets like The Gateway Pundit, underscores his ongoing mission to expose what he perceives as systemic failures. “This can’t happen!!!” Johnson emphasized in his update, promising further details in subsequent posts as he continues to gather information.
Johnson’s credibility stems from his extensive tenure as a Capitol Police Lieutenant, though his actions during the January 6 riot—where he was filmed wearing a MAGA hat while assisting trapped officers—have made him a polarizing figure. Suspended and later resigning after that event, Johnson has claimed his actions were a tactical necessity to save lives, a narrative supported by some colleagues but met with skepticism by others. His latest allegations, however, align with a pattern of warnings about Capitol security, including a letter he sent just a week prior to U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger alleging another security lapse tied to Trump’s safety.
The March 4 incident is not an isolated event. According to Johnson’s posts on X, as cited by Free Republic, this marks the fourth instance since Trump’s election win where a gun has breached a building policed by Chief Manger’s force. Johnson alarmingly noted, “What is frightening to me is that both dates that President Trump attended events at the Capitol it was on a date where a gun made it in one of the buildings and I’m told one of the guns made it in a room where President Trump was actually in and only feet away from him.” While these claims await official corroboration, they paint a troubling picture of recurring vulnerabilities at a time when Trump’s presence draws intense scrutiny and potential threats.
The timing of the breach—coinciding with the SOTU address—heightens its significance. The annual address, delivered on March 4, 2025, at 9:00 PM EST, saw Trump speak to Congress and the nation from the Capitol, an event requiring robust security measures. Yet, Johnson’s account suggests that existing protocols failed to prevent a staffer from carrying a firearm into a sensitive area not once, but twice in consecutive days. The staffer’s alleged confusion—“what the problem was with this”—points to either a lack of awareness of Capitol security policies or a failure in enforcement, both of which demand immediate investigation.
As of March 9, 2025, the U.S. Capitol Police have not released an official statement specifically addressing Johnson’s claims about the March 4 incident. However, historical precedent shows the agency’s responsiveness to such breaches. For instance, on December 2, 2024, Capitol Police arrested Michael Hopkins, a staffer for Representative Joe Morelle (D-NY), after finding ammunition in his bag during a security screening at the Cannon House Office Building. Hopkins faced charges for unlawful possession of ammunition, with no firearm recovered, and was promptly terminated from his position (Reuters, 2024). While that incident differs in specifics, it underscores the Capitol’s zero-tolerance policy for weapons-related breaches—making the lack of detection on March 3, as alleged by Johnson, all the more perplexing.
Johnson’s broader critique taps into ongoing debates about the U.S. Capitol Police’s effectiveness. His resignation after January 6 was partly motivated by what he described as leadership failures, a sentiment echoed in his NPR interview with Leila Fadel on January 20, 2023, where he recounted being left without direction during the riot. “I asked for help… and I didn’t hear anything,” he told NPR, highlighting a command structure he believes collapsed under pressure. The March 4 incident, if verified, could further erode public trust in the agency tasked with protecting Congress and the Capitol complex.
The Gateway Pundit framed the incident as “a shocking security breach at the Capitol that raises serious questions about the safety protocols surrounding congressional events,” amplifying Johnson’s call for accountability. On X and other platforms, reactions have ranged from outrage over perceived negligence to skepticism about the lack of official confirmation. One Free Republic commenter noted, “zero confirmation that this supposed incident actually took place… a staffer being arrested with a gun would have been very big news,” reflecting the need for independent verification beyond Johnson’s posts.
Politically, the incident could reignite discussions about Capitol security in a polarized climate. Johnson’s prior assertions of a “set-up” and “cover-up” regarding January 6 (Newsweek, 2023) have found traction among Trump supporters, and this latest claim may fuel narratives of institutional incompetence or malice. Conversely, critics may question Johnson’s motives, given his controversial exit from the force and alignment with certain political factions.
As of this writing, key details remain unconfirmed: the staffer’s identity, the specific building involved (e.g., Cannon, Longworth, or Rayburn), and the precise circumstances of the arrest. Johnson promised a follow-up tweet on March 8, 2025, which could clarify these points. The U.S. Capitol Police, Congress, and potentially the House Administration Committee may launch inquiries to ascertain how such a breach occurred and why it went unnoticed the previous day.
Sources:
Johnson, Tarik. X posts, March 7, 2025. Cited in text.
“REPORT: House Staffer Gained Entry into One of the House Office Buildings that Leads to U.S. Capitol with a Gun Before Trump’s Speech to the Nation,” The Gateway Pundit, March 8, 2025.
“REPORT: House Staffer Gained Entry into One of the House Office Buildings that Leads to U.S. Capitol with a Gun Before Trump’s Speech to the Nation,” Free Republic, March 8, 2025.
“Congressional staffer arrested at US Capitol with ammunition, police say,” Reuters, December 2, 2024.
Fadel, Leila. “A police officer is telling his version of events during the attack on the Capitol,” NPR, January 20, 2023.
Impelli, Matthew. “Ex-Capitol Police Officer Promises to Release Info on Jan. 6 ‘Cover-Up’,” Newsweek, November 30, 2023.