Army initially pushed to deny D.C. mayor’s request for National Guard before Jan. 6
The Army ultimately relented after the Capitol had been overrun and the Army got pressure from Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley.
By Paul Sonne, Peter Hermann, Ellen Nakashima and Matt ZapotoskyThe Washington Post
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The Army initially pushed to reject the Washington, D.C., government s request for a modest National Guard presence ahead of the Jan. 6 rally that led to the Capitol riot. Guard troops were sent hours after the Capitol had been overrun by violent insurrectionists. John Minchillo/Associated Press
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D.C. National Guard commander says Pentagon delayed deployment of troops to protect US Capitol on January 6
In the second joint hearing held by the Senate Rules and Homeland Security committees on the January 6 siege of the US Capitol by pro-Trump insurrectionists, D.C. National Guard Commander William Walker confirmed that senior leadership at the Department of Defense refused for hours to approve urgent requests from Walker and D.C. police to deploy National Guard troops to protect Congress from the mob.
In his opening statement, Walker said he asked Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy for approval to deploy National Guard troops at 1:49 p.m., but was not given the go-ahead until 5:08 p.m. Walker testified that the three hour and 19 minute delay left him “stunned and frustrated.”