On November 1 2020, NBC News White House Correspondent Geoff Bennett published a tweet reporting that on November 2 2020, work crews would begin to build “a ‘non-scalable’ fence” in order to “secure” the White House during and after the election the following day:
Bennett wrote:
The White House on lockdown: A federal law enforcement source tells NBC that beginning tomorrow, crews will build a “non-scalable” fence to secure the WH complex, Ellipse and Lafayette Square.
250 National Guardsmen have been put on standby, reporting to Metro Police officials.
Tom Winter, another NBC News correspondent, tweeted something similar:
Winter said:
NBC News: A federal law enforcement source tells NBC News that beginning tomorrow morning, crews in DC will begin erecting a “non scalable” fence that will secure the perimeter from H to Constitution and 15th to 17th streets in the city (The White House).
Early on November 2 2020, CNN also reported the claim, also citing an unnamed source:
Washington (CNN)-Federal authorities are expected to put back into place a “non-scalable” fence around the entire perimeter of the White House on [November 2 2020] as law enforcement and other agencies prepare for possible protests surrounding the election, a source with knowledge of the matter confirmed to CNN.
The fence, the same type that was put up during protests this summer [during protests over the death of George Floyd in 2020], will encompass the Ellipse and Lafayette Square. It will go down 15th Street to Constitution Avenue and then over to 17th Street. The fence will then run up to H Street and across by Lafayette, and then come down 15th Street, the source said.
NBC News was first to report the new fencing. The Secret Service did not respond to a request for comment.
Unlike other speculation-based reports or news items attributed to a source, both NBC News and CNN provided a very short timeline for the claim to be validated — both reporting the “non-scalable fence” would be put up on November 2 2020, a day before Election Day.
Other tweets from parts of Washington, D.C. showed security protocols in civilian areas against a backdrop of concerns about unrest:
Many November 2 2020 tweets included images of a fence around the White House, but those images appeared to have been from a few months previously, not November 2020:
As of 11:53 Eastern time, were unable to locate any new images of the “non-scalable fence” or wall around the White House; however, this page will be updated as the story unfolds.
Update, 11/03/2020, 11:00 AM: ABC News shared photographs of the “non-scalable fence” at 2:29 AM on November 3 2020.
- The White House on lockdown: A federal law enforcement source tells NBC that beginning tomorrow, crews will build a “non-scalable” fence to secure the WH complex, Ellipse and Lafayette Square. 250 National Guardsmen have been put on standby, reporting to Metro Police officials.
- NBC News: A federal law enforcement source tells NBC News that beginning tomorrow morning, crews in DC will begin erecting a “non scalable” fence that will secure the perimeter from H to Constitution and 15th to 17th streets in the city (The White House). Reported w/ Mike Kosnar
- Federal authorities expected to erect 'non-scalable' fence around White House
- The entire neighborhood surrounding the White House is preparing for mass unrest: boards, chains, fences, and barriers. This is insane.
- The scene in DC today, where a giant barrier is going up around the White House
- White House lockdown beginning tomorrow, a “non-scalable” fence will be built to secure the complex, Ellipse and Lafayette Square. 250 National Guardsmen have been put on standby... He’s not leaving. #ElectionDay
- I don’t remember Washington DC being boarded-up for an election prior to Trump. Let’s take our country back. Vote...
- Non-scalable fencing was temporarily installed around the White House perimeter on Monday in advance of potential Election Day protests. https://abcn.ws/3jQXl8W