Restrictions placed on the National Guard by Department of Defense officials contributed to a delayed response as the U.S. Capitol was under attack on Jan. 6, according to testimony presented at a congressional hearing Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. William Walker, commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, testified that he was denied authority to deploy a quick reaction force and was required to seek approval before moving Guardsmen supporting Capitol police. Walker said he received a “frantic” call from the chief of Capitol Police at 1:49 p.m. asking for immediate assistance, but Walker was not authorized to deploy troops for another three hours.
Walker said it only took 20 minutes to send Guardsmen to the Capitol after he received the order.
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, led a Wednesday hearing focused on discovering how national security officials failed to identify and prepare for the threat posed by right-wing extremists who planned to invade the Capitol. A mob of rioters, including supporters of then-President Donald Trump, broke past police barriers and stormed the building, causing members of Congress to evacuate as they were certifying the presidential election.
Peters, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said the intelligence community failed to recognize “crystal clear warnings” that an attack on Jan. 6 was being planned. Security officials testified last week they expected violence would spill out of protests organized by Trump and his allies, but officials were not ready for a “coordinated military-style” attack on the Capitol.
The Michigan senator also questioned why the National Guard did not have the same issues getting approval to respond to Black Lives Matter protests last year. Walker said senior leaders of the U.S. Army conveyed “that it would not be their best military advice to have uniformed Guardsmen on the Capitol.”
“You’re saying that optics was raised on that call,” Peters said. “You said you were able to get immediate authorization in the summer of 2020 during those protests. Was the issue of optics ever brought up by Army leadership when D.C. National Guard was deployed in summer 2020?”
Walker said no, and he found it unusual that “optics” were discussed on Jan. 6.
Wednesday’s hearing is the latest in a series of investigative sessions Congress is taking to review the Jan. 6 incident and adopt reforms. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified one day earlier that unverified intelligence suggesting extremist groups were planning for “war” in Washington, D.C. was forwarded to Capitol Police, though leaders of the department said they did not receive it.
Jill Sanborn, assistant director for the FBI’s counterterrorism division, said the FBI had a difficult time sorting through a flood of online communications about the activity being planned on Jan. 6. Sandborn said the FBI tried to separate “aspirational” discussions from conversations that conveyed an intent to act.
“Clearly, we have to do a much better job,” Peters said.
Wray said many of the people identified were thanks to 200,000 digital media tips the FBI has received from the public. Members of the public who have any information related to the siege should continue to provide tips, information, and videos of illegal activity at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Wray reiterated that the FBI has not found evidence to suggest anarchists or anti-fascists were connected to the Jan. 6 attack. Sandborn testified Wednesday that no individuals who have been arrested thus far identified as members of antifa or anarchist groups.
Sandborn said new intelligence suggests a possible plot by “militia” groups to breach the Capitol on Thursday or Saturday, March 6.
The hearing follows a week-long impeachment trial examining the role Trump played in the riots. The House voted to impeach Trump on one charge of “inciting an insurrection,” but a bipartisan group of Senators did not gather enough support to convict the former president.