Army Balked at Request to Provide Backup at Capitol on Jan. 6: Internal Memo

In the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, several top cops testified to Congress that their desperate pleas for National Guard backup went unanswered by the Pentagon for hours. Now, an internal draft memo obtained by The Washington Post shows that the Army was initially reluctant to provide even a modest Guard presence ahead of the Jan. 6 rally. The memo said city officials had requested a military presence but it wouldn’t be needed unless more than 100,000 demonstrators were expected. It said law enforcement was “far better suited” for the task. The Post reports that the memo shows how reluctant Pentagon leaders were to involve the military in plans for the “Stop the Steal” event despite FBI intel that it could turn violent.