Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said in a statement released on the 18th that the Department of Defense has not received any intelligence indicating a potential threat of attack in Washington, but also stressed that the Department of Defense will ensure the safety of President-elect Joe Biden’s 20th inauguration.
The statement said that the Department of Defense is reviewing the National Guard deployed in Washington, as is normal practice for providing military support for security at large events. Although there is no intelligence to suggest that there is an internal threat to Washington, the Defense Department is sparing no effort to ensure the security of the capital. To date Washington has gathered 21,500 National Guard troops from all 50 states and 3 territories, and as of Inauguration Day, 25,000 National Guard troops are expected to be deployed.
National Guard Director Daniel R. Hokanson pointed out that if the National Guard shows any hint in the review of background check information that he has ever supported extremist views, then the command unit will be notified immediately or referred to law enforcement. The Miller statement also mentioned that the Washington National Guard will provide further training to other district personnel to ensure that they notify command units when they find unusual circumstances. And thanked the FBI for assisting in the task, as well as each of the 25,000 National Guard.
Trump supporters broke into the Capitol on the 6th sparked a riot that resulted in five deaths and dozens of arrests, and the outbreak of the incident also caused defense officials to express concern about the possibility of an internal attack. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also notified police across the United States that armed protests are possible outside the U.S. Capitol in all 50 states until the day of Biden’s inauguration on the 20th.
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