Guard waited more than three hours for approval to respond to Capitol riots, official says
March 3
Members of the National Guard gather near the U.S. Capitol before the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
National Guard troops faced unusual restrictions and deployment delays from senior Pentagon leaders amid the attempted insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, including a more than three-hour wait for deployment approval even as rioters overran the halls of Congress, a senior Guard official told senators on Wednesday.
“I was frustrated,” said Maj. Gen. William Walker, commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “We had guardsmen on buses … just waiting to get the approval. I believe that number could have made a difference [earlier], we could have helped extend the perimeter and helped push back the crowd.”