Wray testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday for the first time in almost two years, answering questions about the riot at the Capitol.

"It's behaviour that we, the FBI, view as domestic terrorism. It's got no place in our democracy and tolerating it would make a mockery of our nation's rule of law," Wray said.

Wray is defending the bureau's handing of intelligence indicating that there might be violence on January 6.

He said the bureau immediately shared with other agencies a report that included "raw and unverified" intelligence predicting the attack.

A January 5 report from the FBI's Norfolk, Virginia, field office warned of online posts foreshadowing a "war" in Washington DC the following day.

The former chief of the Capitol Police and others have said the information wasn't flagged for them and was only sent in an email.

Wray said he did not see the report until after the attack but it was shared properly.

Five people died as result of the violence.

Australian Associated Press