The Pentagon blocked the DC National Guard from receiving riot gear or interacting with protesters without explicit approval from Trump's defense secretary
Tyler Sonnemaker
Jan 8, 2021, 12:48 AM
The Pentagon placed major restrictions on the DC National Guard leading up to Wednesday's insurrection, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Officials curtailed the ability of DC guardsmen to deploy troops, receive ammo and riot gear, engage with protesters, share equipment with local police, and use surveillance without explicit approval from President Trump's acting defense secretary, Christopher Miller, according to The Post.
Guardsmen didn't arrive to support US Capitol Police — who were ill-prepared and quickly overrun — until more than two hours after its chief called for them, according to the Post.
The muted approach was said to be intended to avoid backlash that followed an aggressive response to Black Lives Matter protests over the summer, but the response has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers, activists, and even some law-enforcement experts for being insufficient.
https://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-hindered-dc-national-guard-response-to-insurrection-attempt-report-2021-1
