Three days before the Capitol riot, Trump told his acting defense secretary to protect those who were "executing their constitutionally protected rights."
Former Trump officials dodge questions about not defending US Capitol on January 6 as Republicans downplay riot keyt.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from keyt.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Syndicated Content
By David Shepardson and Jan Wolfe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) â The man who led the Pentagon during former President Donald Trumpâs supportersâ deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol is expected to defend his decisions at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, saying that sending in troops would have created the appearance of a âmilitary coup.â
Former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller plans to say that the military was deliberately restrained on the day of Trumpâs Jan. 6 rally, that turned into an assault by hundreds of his followers that left five dead including a police officer, according to a copy of his prepared remarks seen by Reuters.
Trump acting Pentagon chief defends military response to Jan. 6 riot at Capitol 3 days ago Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller briefs reporters from the Pentagon on Nov. 17, 2020. (Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders/DoD) WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s acting defense secretary during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots plans to tell Congress that he was concerned in the days before the insurrection that sending troops to the building would fan fears of a military coup and could cause a repeat of the deadly Kent State shootings, according to a copy of prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press.
Christopher Miller’s testimony is aimed at defending the Pentagon’s response to the chaos of the day and rebutting broad criticism that military forces were too slow to arrive even as pro-Trump rioters violently breached the building and stormed inside. He casts himself as a deliberate leader who was determined that the military have only limited involvement, a perspecti