Trump announces new impeachment legal team

Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman called for permanent fencing and availability of "ready, back-up forces in close proximity of the Capitol" in a statement Thursday. Following the violence on January 6, which led to the death of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, Pittman had her staff "conduct a physical security assessment" of the Capitol.

"In light of recent events, I can unequivocally say that vast improvements to the physical security infrastructure must be made to include permanent fencing, and the availability of ready, back-up forces in close proximity to the Capitol," Pittman said in a statement. "I look forward to working with Congress on identifying the security improvements necessary to ensure the safety and security of the Congress and the U.S. Capitol."

The Capitol Police Board will have to approve the additional security measures and Congress will have to appropriate funding for it before any permanent fencing is put up. Some members of Congress have already criticized the proposal, citing access to the Capitol building.

"This is the People's House. I am adamantly opposed. There has been no threat briefing given to Members of Congress to justify this proposal," Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said on Twitter.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told ABC News that he "would tend to defer to the experts," about the security needs for the building. Though he added that there, "should be both safety and the right to access the building."

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel, Allison Pecorin and Jack Date

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy met for lunch with former President Donald Trump Thursday afternoon at Mar-a-Lago -- what was once referred to as the "Winter White House" before Biden defeated the incumbent president.

In a statement following their meeting, McCarthy said Trump is committed to helping Republicans win races in the House and Senate in 2022 and stressed the importance of a united front.

“Today, President Trump committed to helping elect Republicans in the House and Senate in 2022. A Republican majority will listen to our fellow Americans and solve the challenges facing our nation. Democrats, on the other hand, have only put forward an agenda that divides us — such as impeaching a President who is now a private citizen and destroying blue-collar energy jobs," the statement reads. "A united conservative movement will strengthen the bonds of our citizens and uphold the freedoms our country was founded on.”

McCarthy's visit comes at a tumultuous time for the Republican Party and one day after he implored GOP colleagues on a conference call to stop attacking each other and to focus on countering the agenda from Democrats and Biden, a person familiar with his remarks confirmed to ABC News.

The California Republican made no mention of what else the two talked about and if Trump spoke with him about McCarthy's comments regarding his role in inciting the Capitol attack.

It's a shift from 15 days ago when McCarthy made a demand of Trump on the House floor to "accept his share of responsibility, quell the brewing unrest and assure President-elect Biden is able to successfully begin his term."

-ABC News' Mariam Khan and Katherine Faulders

White House press secretary Jen Psaki in a press briefing Thursday pushed back on criticism of the administration’s heavy use of executive actions, pointing to Biden’s continued work to get his COVID-19 package passed.

Psaki also added that Biden was simply undoing the damaging policies of the Trump administration with his actions.  

“In terms of executive actions, he also ran with a commitment to take steps immediately to address the pain and suffering that the American people were feeling," Psaki said. "And that includes overturning some of the detrimental, harmful, and at times immoral policies and actions of the prior administration. But he's the first to tell you, as he said many times publicly, he's not going to take executive action alone. That’s why he's put forward a number of packages that he's actively working with members of both parties to move forward on."

Thursday's actions on health care add to a series of executive moves by Biden in his first week as president, setting an ambitious tone for his administration on a number of policy areas. Since entering office on Jan. 20, Biden has signed more than 30 executive actions addressing the coronavirus pandemic, economy, immigration, climate crisis and more.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

The nation's first second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, made his first solo appearance in his new role in the nation's capital on Thursday afternoon.

Emhoff visited The Farm at Kelly Miller Middle School to meet with representatives of Dreaming Out Loud, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit "focused on food security and economic opportunity."

He shared an elbow bump with the organization's founder, Chris Bradshaw, ahead of a "farm tour" in which both gentlemen donned masks. 

Earlier in the day, Emhoff tweeted his designation was now official after Merriam Webster added "Second Gentleman" to their dictionary, and playing off a phrase of his wife's, said, "I might be the first, but I won't be the last."

Emhoff, an attorney, also taught his first entertainment law class Thursday morning at Georgetown Law, where he is a visiting professor.