There is no evidence that Trump requested troops to secure the Capitol or consulted Pelosi ahead of January 6 insurrection, fact-checkers say
Former president Donald Trump did not formally request 10,000 National Guard troops to secure the Capitol in the days leading up to the insurrection on January 6, 2021, fact-checkers from PolitiFact and The Washington Post say. A spokesperson for the Defense Department said there is “no record of such an order being given” and a spokesperson for House Leader Nancy Pelosi said she was never consulted about National Guard ahead of the events, according to PolitiFact and Washington Post.
There is no evidence that Trump requested troops to secure the Capitol or consulted Pelosi ahead of January 6 insurrection, fact-checkers say
What you need to know
- According to fact-checkers, it was an offhand remark that wasn’t lodged as a formal request
- A Defense Department memo on January 6 also makes no mention of any such discussion but mentioned the potential activation of 340 troops to assist with traffic control, according to The Washington Post
- Pelosi's spokesperson stated she had "immediately signaled her support for the deployment of the National Guard when she was presented with that recommendation on the afternoon of January 6th"