National Guard Commander Reveals Hours-Long Delay To Approve Backup On Jan. 6

March 3, 2021
Members of the National Guard are seen on the East Front of the US Capitol Building on Capitol Hill March 2, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
|
March 3, 2021

In the sequel to a hearing with Capitol security leaders last week, Senators today will grill officials from the FBI, National Guard, Defense Department and Department of Homeland Security on security failures during the January 6 insurrection.

It’ll be the first chance for intelligence officials to combat the theme that’s emerged from the other Capitol attack hearings so far: that the security breakdown was primarily to blame on intelligence lapses.

While the witnesses are mostly civilians, commanding general of the D.C. National Guard Major General William J. Walker was added to the list last-minute. Walker may be able to explain the delays in the authorization and deployment of the Guard, one of the biggest mysteries still shrouding the attack. Questions about the Guard in other hearings have resulted mostly in finger-pointing and conflicting information.

This hearing is part two to one held before these two committees — Senate Rules and Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs — featuring the former heads of the Capitol police and sergeants at arms last Tuesday.

Watch Live

What To Expect

The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. and include testimony from:

  • Melissa Smislova, senior official performing the duties of the under secretary at the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis
  • Jill Sanborn, assistant director of the FBI counterterrorism division
  • Robert Salesses, senior official performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense and Global Security at DOD
  • Major General William Walker, commanding general of the D.C. National Guard

Things We're Listening For

  • Clarifying details on the National Guard authorization and deployment timeline
  • Insight from intelligence agencies on how much they knew leading up to January 6
  • GOP conspiracy theorizing (looking at you, Sen. Johnson)
More Less

In the sequel to a hearing with Capitol security leaders last week, Senators today will grill officials from the FBI, National Guard, Defense Department and Department of Homeland Security on security failures during the January 6 insurrection.

It’ll be the first chance for intelligence officials to combat the theme that’s emerged from the other Capitol attack hearings so far: that the security breakdown was primarily to blame on intelligence lapses.

While the witnesses are mostly civilians, commanding general of the D.C. National Guard Major General William J. Walker was added to the list last-minute. Walker may be able to explain the delays in the authorization and deployment of the Guard, one of the biggest mysteries still shrouding the attack. Questions about the Guard in other hearings have resulted mostly in finger-pointing and conflicting information.

This hearing is part two to one held before these two committees — Senate Rules and Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs — featuring the former heads of the Capitol police and sergeants at arms last Tuesday.

Notable Replies

  1. Yep, keep the spotlight on this.

    Kinda wish they would have done this on March 4th, just for the irony of it.

  2. Cruz-Hawley-Lee:

    “Boys, what have you got on us?”

  3. FBI warns of extremist chatter about an attack on the capitol tomorrow. Anyone who has been aware of the new March 4th conspiracy theory, arising just after Inauguration, would have predicted this.

  4. so what is it,

    hours long delay
    took us 60 minutes to deploy
    10,000 troops authorized
    Nancy refused


    .
    My take, create enough confusion with “leadership” providing multiple answers that fit anyone’s narrative. FUBAR in spades.

  5. So, if the “Mar 4th inauguration” nonsense is predicated upon “sovereign citizen” conspiracists, can we just consider them enemy combatants from the jump? Asking for the US Army.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

278 more replies

Participants

Avatar for paulw Avatar for fess Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for sniffit Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for lastroth Avatar for left_in_washington_state Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for tena Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for brian512 Avatar for the_loan_arranger Avatar for dominic Avatar for justruss Avatar for dougsanders Avatar for bcgister Avatar for heartflow Avatar for paul_lukasiak Avatar for dicktater Avatar for LeeHarveyGriswold Avatar for Scoutmom Avatar for JR_in_Mass

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: