DC National Guard Chief: Pentagon Dragged Its Feet on Jan 6 Backup

Wednesday, March 03, 2021

"We already had Guardsmen on buses ready to move to the Capitol," Walker wrote in his prepared remarks to two Senate committees that will hold a hearing on the Jan. 6 insurrection. But Walker says he didn't get approval until after 5 p.m. -- well after rioters had overtaken the Capitol, sending lawmakers fleeing for safety. He singled out then-acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller in particular as he described the slow-walking of Sund's request.

Posted by lamplighter at 10:31 PM | 13 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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...Of note: [William Walker, commanding general of the D.C. National Guard] also told the Senate on Wednesday that the D.C. National Guard received "immediate approval" to deploy forces during Black Lives Matter protests last summer, in contrast to the delays faced during the Jan. 6 riots by Trump supporters....

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2021-03-03 12:34 PM | Reply

He singled out then-acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller in particular as he described the slow-walking of Sund's request.

POSTED BY LAMPLIGHTER

January 6th was an attempted coup. An attempted Right-wing Republican coup against the people and Constitution of the United States.

#2 | Posted by Zed at 2021-03-03 01:00 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

But I thought it was Pelosi's fault?

#3 | Posted by jpw at 2021-03-03 01:31 PM | Reply

More from the summary's politico.com article...

...Robert Salesses, a top Pentagon official who handles homeland defense, plans to push back against Walker's account when he testifies later Wednesday. In written testimony, Salesses said Miller approved "full activation" for the D.C. National Guard at 3:04 p.m. Guardsmen were ordered to depart for the Capitol at 4:32 p.m., Salesses added.

Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is also backing up the Pentagon's version of events. He told reporters Tuesday that the Pentagon reacted at "sprint speed" to the request for aid to Congress. Mobilizing a large force of guard troops in a few hours amounts to lightning quickness in military terms, he emphasized....

[emphasis mine]

Curious that there was no such "few hours" allotted for a "lightning quickness" response during the Black Lives Matter protests.

Methinks there may be more to this timeline than we currently are aware of.

#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2021-03-03 01:49 PM | Reply

"Mobilizing a large force of guard troops in a few hours amounts to lightning quickness in military terms, he emphasized...."

A few hundred troops in formation with fixed bayonets and live ammunition may have been all that was needed.

#5 | Posted by Zed at 2021-03-03 01:58 PM | Reply

@#5 ... A few hundred troops in formation with fixed bayonets and live ammunition may have been all that was needed. ...

"We already had Guardsmen on buses ready to move to the Capitol,"

- William Walker, commanding general of the D.C. National Guard

#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2021-03-03 02:47 PM | Reply

Biden should insist on court marshals of Trumps toadies. They will sing when faced with Leavensworth.

#7 | Posted by bored at 2021-03-04 12:00 AM | Reply

LAMP @ #4

"Methinks there may be more to this timeline than we currently are aware of."

I think you're right. There's an 800 lb elephant in the room. Donald J. Trump!

Maybe the panel will get around to asking the Secretary of Defense if he had a conversation with Trump about sending the National Guard on January 6th.

#8 | Posted by Twinpac at 2021-03-04 03:18 AM | Reply

Of course they did. Flynn's brother was in charge of it. Why is the army lying that Flynn was not on the call?

#9 | Posted by Nixon at 2021-03-04 10:34 AM | Reply

Methinks there may be more to this timeline than we currently are aware of.

#4 | Posted by LampLighter

Replacing the Sec of Defense with a sycophant? Trump knowing the Jan 6th 'rally' and insurrection was planned? Changing the rules under which the DC National Guard suddenly need the approval of the Sec of Defense, even including the 40 person NG rapid response unit?

Ya, this thing was planned to be a successful insurrection to overthrow the U.S. government and keep Trump in power.

#10 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2021-03-04 10:44 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Ya, this thing was planned to be a successful insurrection to overthrow the U.S. government and keep Trump in power.

#10 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY

Exactly. Trump firing and replacing the secretary of defense 1 month before his term ends proves that he was preplanning this attack and eliminating the people who would stop it.

#11 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2021-03-04 11:43 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Those that are lying to Congress about what actually happened are toadies that fear Trump will be back the they know retribution is his favorite thing.

#12 | Posted by danni at 2021-03-04 12:55 PM | Reply

Issue subpoenas for Miller and McCarthy, and send the FBI to go get them when they refuse to appear. Order Gen. Flynn to testify. If Miller and McCarthy refuse, file conspiracy and dereliction of duty charges against them. If Flynn refuses to testify, he gets the same charges and gets busted down to major and mustered out. Flay them in public, on television. Ruin their names and careers. No GOP member of the house or senate will dare stand in support of any of them...

#13 | Posted by catdog at 2021-03-04 06:38 PM | Reply