Former Pentagon chief to say he feared Kent State repeat on Jan. 6
By Joseph Choi - 05/11/21 04:18 PM EDT
Former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller is planning to tell Congress on Wednesday that he was concerned sending troops to the Capitol building on Jan. 6 would invoke fears of a military coup and could result in a deadly incident like the Kent State shooting, according to a copy of his prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press.
According to the AP, Miller plans to defend the Pentagon's actions on Jan. 6 during which a violent mob of former President Trump's supporters breached Capitol security, ransacked lawmakers' offices and attacked Capitol police officers, among other things.
The news of Miller's prepared remarks come as the Pentagon has been criticized for its response on the day of the breach as being too slow.
In his remarks to the House Oversight Committee, he will argue that the Department of Defense (DoD) has “an extremely poor record in supporting domestic law enforcement."
“And some 51 years ago, on May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guard troops fired at demonstrators at Kent State University and killed four American civilians,” Miller's prepared remarks read, according to the AP. “I was committed to avoiding repeating these scenarios.”
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https://thehill.com/policy/defense/552942-former-pentagon-chief-defends-jan-6-response-says-he-feared-kent-state-repeat