D.C. set for heavy National Guard presence

Contingent of up to 15,000 could see duty for inauguration in wake of riot

WASHINGTON — Up to 15,000 National Guard members could be deployed in Washington during the presidential inauguration, senior defense officials said Monday, as lawmakers questioned the military’s ability to respond quickly to domestic crises and urged a crackdown on possible extremists in its ranks.

The dual discussions come days after a mob of pro-trump supporters, some armed, forced their way into the Capitol building last week, beat police officers and hunted for lawmakers as Congress voted to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s election win over President Donald Trump.

At least five people, including a

Capitol Police officer beaten by the mob, have died.

A contingent of 340 District of Columbia National Guard members had been activated ahead of the riot, which followed a speech by Trump in which he repeated baseless claims that he won the election and directed the crowd to the Capitol.

But the guardsmen were unarmed and mostly on traffic duty in other parts of the city, in a limited mission that D.C. officials had approved. Once the riot began, lawmakers and D.C. officials pleaded with defense officials to send National Guard members to help, but none arrived for hours as details were finalized, officials familiar with the situation said.

Defense Department officials have since activated thousands of

National Guard members, with 6,000 in the city as of Monday, said Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau. Up to 10,000 are expected to be deployed by Saturday, with the possibility for even more on the streets by the inauguration on Jan. 20, he said.

Hokanson, speaking in a phone conference with reporters, said the final numbers will be determined by the requirements of federal agencies. The National Guard members will carry weapons based on discussions with the FBI, police and other agencies.

“Obviously, we’re very concerned that we want our individuals to have the right to self-defense,” the general said. “And so that will be an ongoing conversation, and if the senior leadership determines that that’s the right posture to be in, then that is something that we will do.”

Defense Department officials had carved out a narrow role before the pro-trump rally, seeking to avoid any appearance that the military was involved in determining the election. The Pentagon had prohibited the guardsmen from carrying firearms or riot gear, interacting with protesters unless required for their own selfdefense, sharing equipment with local law enforcement, or using aircraft without explicit approval from acting defense secretary Christopher Miller.

That changed after the bloodshed began.

Hokanson said Monday that the guardsmen will arrive in Washington with protective equipment and will provide security. They will report to Maj. Gen. William Walker, the commander of the D.C. National Guard, and be deployed under federal authorities that allow them to perform law enforcement missions if required.

The expanding discussions come as lawmakers scrutinize why the Defense Department response last week was delayed.

In a letter to Miller, Sens. Chris Murphy, D-conn., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said they were “deeply disturbed by the lack of urgency in the immediate response to the invasion of the U.S. Capitol.”

In a separate letter, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-ill., requested that the Defense Department’s criminal investigators cooperate with the FBI and the Capitol Police to determine whether any activeduty members of the military were present during the riot. Several veterans have been identified and arrested.

“Upholding good order and discipline demands that the U.S. Armed Forces root out extremists that infiltrate the military and threaten our national security,” she wrote.