New information about the failure to protect the U.S. Capitol – despite intelligence suggesting a pre-planned attack – asserts that it was President Trump’s team that forced the issue of National Guard deployment, while Army officials at the Pentagon were more concerned about the backlash they might face from the media, the DC Mayor, and the political left.
The Washington Post claims to have seen a draft, internal memo from the Pentagon revealing that military planners rejected the idea of National Guard deployment ahead of the Capitol riot. This follows the news – first reported by Vanity Fair – that Trump had insisted on deploying 10,000 Guard troops in part to ensure the security of the event he was speaking at, 45 minutes walk down the road.
“You’re going to need 10,000 people… You do what you need to do. You do what you need to do,” Trump told his Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.
Miller rightly pointed out, “…you know, someone’s going to have to ask for it.”
Now we know Miller tried his best, despite no D.C. request for Guard troops. He obeyed The Commander-in-Chief’s orders and attempted to ensure a Guard deployment in the face of an obstructionist Pentagon.
Under Pressure.
According to the latest information: “The Army ultimately relented after facing pressure from acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, and realizing that District officials weren’t going to turn to the Justice Department for help instead, as the Army had wanted.”
In other words, the Army resisted demands from senior Trump administration officials including the Defense Secretary. Until they caved, at least.
Not only does this raise questions over people who tried to ignore the chain of command, but over the entire official narrative and ongoing rationale (or lack-thereof) for the fortifications around the Capitol.
Intelligence.
Numerous reports now assert the Capitol attack was pre-planned by fringe groups who intended to disrupt the objections to the election results in the U.S. Congress. Simply put: the objections being made by Trump-friendly Congressmen and Senators were actually thwarted by the events of January 6th.
