Byron York's Daily Memo: Why is the National Guard still in Washington?
by Byron York, Chief Political Correspondent |
| February 02, 2021 08:39 AM
WHY IS THE NATIONAL GUARD STILL IN WASHINGTON? There were roughly 25,000 National Guard members in Washington for the inauguration of President Joe Biden. It has been normal practice to have some National Guard in town for inaugurations, but 25,000 was way too many. The deployment was in large part an overreaction to the Capitol riot of January 6.
Now, 5,000 are still here. The inauguration was nearly two weeks ago. It went off without incident. There is no need for troops in Washington. And yet, if you go to the federal area of Washington, you'll find tall fencing and razor wire creating a huge militarized zone around the Capitol, with National Guard members guarding it from inside the fence. The barrier is not just on the perimeter of the Capitol. It extends for blocks beyond the building in every direction.
Now, the head of Capitol Police wants to make the fencing permanent, and the National Guard has not left. They are apparently staying at least until mid-March, apparently because authorities fear another January 6-style riot from Trump supporters. "There are several upcoming events -- we don't know what they are -- over the next several weeks, and they're concerned that there could be situations where there are lawful protests, First Amendment-protected protests, that could either be used by malicious actors, or other problems that could emerge," Secretary of the Army John Whitley told the press last week.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/byron-yorks-daily-memo-why-is-the-national-guard-still-in-washington
