About 24 states say they'll send National Guard troops to DC for vote
certification and inauguration
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[November 05, 2024]
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
WASHINGTON (AP) More than two dozen states have indicated they would
be willing to send National Guard troops to Washington if requested in
the weeks following the presidential election and in the runup to the
inauguration, Guard officials said Monday.
The District of Columbia has not yet made any formal requests for Guard
troops, but officials across the government have been preparing for the
possibility that the U.S. Capitol could once again be rocked by violence
around the certification of the election by Congress on Jan. 6 and the
inauguration two weeks later.
About 25,000 Guard troops from around the country flooded into
Washington in the days after the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot, when
thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the
Capitol in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden's
win.
The troops, along with local and federal law enforcement, locked down
the city for the inauguration, securing the Capitol, monuments, Metro
entrances and the perimeter of the central part of the city.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Col. Jean Paul Laurenceau, chief of future
operations for the National Guard Bureau, said it is not yet clear how
many Guard troops will be needed or requested this year. He said it will
depend on what the District of Columbia wants, but he noted that the
National Guard Bureau and the states are leaning forward in anticipation
of a request for assistance.
Were here to support D.C. with sustainment, lodging, transportation
anything they need to prepare for this mission, he said.
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Other officials have said it also will depend on intelligence
reports assessing the potential threats to the city and the
transition of power.
Fueling concerns about possible violence are Trump's claims
without proof that cheating is already underway in the election.
At rally after rally, he has told supporters that the only way he
can lose is if Democrats cheat, and he has repeatedly refused to say
whether he will accept the results regardless of the outcome.
Guard members have historically provided support for presidential
inaugurations, going back to the one for President George
Washington.
But the 2021 event involved an enormous response due to the riot on
Jan. 6, which forced lawmakers to flee the Capitol, delaying the
certification of the presidential vote for hours. In the days
afterward, Guard forces poured into the city by the busload.
In 2021, a few states declined to send troops, also worried about
violence within their own borders and capitals.
Defense officials said Monday that 10 states have activated state
Guard members to assist for the election primarily doing
cybersecurity missions. The total number of troops is about 125.
In addition, nine states and the District of Columbia have put a
total of about 120 Guard troops on standby, ready to deploy if
needed on Tuesday or in the following days also mostly for cyber
missions and some security.
Those states are Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. Officials said
those numbers could change on Election Day as states reassess their
needs.
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