The U.S. Capitol Police arrested a man with Molotov cocktails and knives who was allegedly attempting to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and President Trump’s two recently confirmed nominees, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. 

Ryan English, who traveled from Massachusets to Washington, turned himself into a Capitol Police officer on Monday near the south door of the building, prosecutors said in court documents. 

Officers said they found a folding knife “as well as two destructive devices from the inside pockets of ENGLISH’s jacket” when they searched English. 

“The destructive devices were constructed of 50-milliliter bottles of Absolut brand vodka with a grey cloth affixed to its top,” prosecutors said. “A green BIC brand lighter was also recovered from ENGLISH’s pants’ pocket.” 

Law enforcement also searched English’s vehicle, finding he had a “750-milliliter bottle of Smirnoff 100-proof vodka and a grey sweatshirt with cloth cut from the sleeves,” adding the cloth of the sweatshirt was the same as cloth “affixed to the destructive devices.” 

English, who left Massachusets on Sunday, said he initially looked to kill Hegseth, Johnson “and/or” burn down the Heritage Foundation. But when he stopped in Chevy Chase, Md., on the way to Washington, his plan changed as he found that Bessent’s confirmation vote was on Monday. 

Bessent was confirmed on Monday in a 68-29 vote. 

Upon arrival to Capitol Hill and surveilling security, English suspected he could not reach the new Treasury Secretary, but then “expressed acceptance and content with the possibility of suicide by cop.”

English was hit with counts of an unlawful possession of a firearm and carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the Capitol building. 

In early July 2022, Capitol Police arrested a man who had two Molotov cocktails near the Capitol building.