Capitol Police blame “miscommunication” for the closure of the children’s choir

U.S. Capitol Police said Friday they silenced a children’s choir performing the national anthem in the Capitol building last week over a “miscommunication” that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called “unacceptable.”

The incident, which involved the Rushingbrook Children’s Choir and the Capitol Police, occurred May 26 in the Capitol Building’s National Statuary Hall when members of the Greenville, South Carolina-based choir sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.” .

Video footage of the event shows the group’s conductor, David Rasbach, interrupting the young singers before they could finish the patriotic song.

Rasbach told The Daily Signal on Friday that a Capitol police officer ordered a congressional staffer to end the children’s performance immediately, despite seeking permission from South Carolina Republican delegates William Timmons, Joe Wilson and the Speaker’s Office of the House of Representatives.

McCarthy on Friday tweeted his outrage about the incident and said he looks forward to seeing the singers again “to perform in the halls of Congress”.

“I just found out that children were interrupted while singing our national anthem in the Capitol. Unacceptable. These kids have been welcomed into my office because your Capitol has reopened, especially for school groups,” the California Republican wrote on Twitter.

Capitol Police told the Post Friday that singing is not normally allowed inside the building and that officers were unaware that McCarthy had consented to the performance.

“Although pop-up demonstrations and musical performances are not permitted in the US Capitol without proper authorization due to miscommunication, US Capitol Police were not aware that the Speaker’s Office had authorized this performance,” the agency said. “We apologize to the choir for this miscommunication that impacted their beautiful performance of The Stars and Stripes and their visit to Capitol Hill.”

Rasbach told The Daily Signal that the officer insisted the singing was a demonstration and later claimed that “some people were offended by the performance”.

In the same vein: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) tweeted on Friday The Rushingbrook Children’s Choir was told that the singing “might offend/cause anyone trouble”.

“The national anthem sung by children is not offensive, more is needed,” Greene wrote.

Capitol Police on Friday denied Greene and Rasbach’s allegation, telling The Post, “It is not true that Capitol Police said it might ‘offend anyone’.”