NPR
"A timeline of how the Jan. 6 attack unfolded — including who said what and when"
Updated June 9, 2022
2:38 p.m. Trump tweets again, calling for support of the Capitol Police and law enforcement.
He urges people to "stay peaceful."
MILITARY TIMES
"Why the DC National Guard’s role was limited during US Capitol riot"
By Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press and Robert Burns, The Associated Press
Jan 12, 2021
WASHINGTON — In the aftermath of the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last week, questions are being raised about why the District of Columbia National Guard played such a limited role as civilian law enforcement officers were outnumbered and overrun.
The questions also highlight concern about the potential for violence to erupt again next week when President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated at the Capitol, and whether the Guard should play a bigger or different role.
Use of the Guard, particularly in Washington, is a complicated process, tangled in an array of jurisdictional issues between city and federal agencies.
The original plans called for having a small National Guard presence with a limited role.
When rioters ransacked the Capitol on Wednesday, it wasn’t easy to quickly pivot to having a larger, more muscular force capable of backing up the embattled Capitol Police.
Top city, defense, Capitol and law enforcement officials had to figure out what was needed and where it was needed.
They also struggled to get the required approvals and then get the Guard members instructed, equipped and on their way.
A look at what slowed down the Guard’s response and its role in the run-up to inauguration:
WHY DIDN’T THE GUARD MOVE FASTER?
Bottom line: It was a planning problem complicated by a logistical challenge.
Once officials determined that more Guard were needed than original envisioned, it took time to put them in position.
About 340 members of the D.C. National Guard had been requested by Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Because the District is not a state, the Defense Department has authority over the D.C. Guard, and that control is delegated to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.
The Pentagon approved Bowser’s request for Guard troops to support D.C. police for the protests.
Based on the agreement with D.C., the Guard members were deployed early last week to about 30 checkpoints and a half-dozen Metro entrances.
The agreement stipulated that their deployment was restricted to traffic control and crowd issues, and they specifically were not to be armed or in riot gear.
The Capitol Police, who have authority over the Capitol grounds, repeatedly declined support from the Guard before Wednesday.
Officials say they did not expect a huge, violent protest.
When the riot began Wednesday, the couple hundred D.C. Guard members already on the streets needed an explicit request from federal authorities to go to the Capitol, since that is federal jurisdiction.
The Guard also needed approval from the Pentagon and new orders to change their mission.
They then had to return to their armory to get riot gear and a briefing on what they would be doing at the Capitol.
The deployment discussions triggered complaints that the Pentagon delayed the Guard deployment.
But defense officials defended the need for a careful, deliberate process.
“It’s important that in the midst of a dire situation we have a clear plan and understand the task, purpose, and role of our Guardsman before we employ them,” said Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt, director of the Army staff.
“Creating shared understanding will prevent a complex and potentially dangerous situation from getting worse.”
As that was happening, officials activated the entire D.C. Guard — 1,100 members.
But Guard members who had not already been activated were, as usual, at their homes, their regular jobs or even in other states, and it took time for them to respond.
WHY COULDN’T THEY STORM THE CAPITOL?
Pentagon officials and other national and city leaders are very sensitive to the optics of the U.S. military appearing to arrest or lay hands on American citizens on U.S. soil.
They prefer to leave law enforcement to federal, state and city police agencies.
Many are still stinging from the chaotic law enforcement response last June to Washington street protests over the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.
Critics decried what they saw as an overly militarized approach to containing the problem.
This was in part due to the military-style clothing worn by some federal law enforcement personnel.
With that in mind, the D.C. request last week largely limited the Guard to traffic control.
They were not authorized to perform law enforcement duties.
In any state, Guard members may do law enforcement activities if needed and approved by the governor in a crisis.
In most cases, however, Guard members are used to support law enforcement.
As an example, last Wednesday police SWAT and other tactical units went into the Capitol to roust out the rioters, while the Guard fell in behind them and set up a security perimeter around the building to ensure no one else got in.
Guard members did not enter the Capitol.
ELAINE LURIA: Thank you, Madam Vice Chair.
As you've seen in our prior hearings, President Trump summoned the mob to DC on January 6th.
Before he went on stage he knew some of them were armed and prepared for combat.
During his speech he implored them to march to the Capitol as he had always planned to do.
By the time he walked off the stage, his supporters had already breached the outer perimeter of the Capitol at the foot of Capitol Hill.
Since our last hearings, we've received new testimony from a security professional working in the White House complex on January 6th with access to relevant information and responsibility to report to national security officials.
This security official told us that the White House was aware of multiple reports of weapons in the crowd that morning.
We as a committee are cognizant of the fear of retribution expressed by certain national security witnesses who have come forward to tell the truth.
We've therefore taken steps to protect this national security individual's identity.
Listen to this clip from their testimony.
[Begin Videotape]
UNKNOWN: What was the consistent message from the people about this idea of the President to walk to the Capitol?
To be completely honest, we were all in a state of shock.
Because why?
Because — because it just — one, I think the actual physical feasibility of doing it.
And then also we all knew what that implicated and what that meant.
That this was no longer a rally, that this was going to move to something else if he physically walked to the Capitol.
I — I don't know if you want to use the word insurrection, coup, whatever.
We all knew that this would move from a normal, democratic, you know, public event into something else.
What was — what was driving that sentiment considering this — this — this part of it, the actual breach of the Capitol hadn't happened yet.
Why were we alarmed?
Right.
The President wanted to lead tens of thousands of people to the Capitol.
I think that was enough grounds for us to be alarmed.
[End Videotape]
ELAINE LURIA: Even though he understood many of his supporters were armed, the President was still adamant to go to the Capitol when he got off the stage at the ellipse.
But his Secret Service detail was equally determined to not let him go.
That led to a heated argument with the detail that delayed the departure of the motorcade to the White House.
We have evidence from multiple sources regarding an angry exchange in the Presidential SUV, including testimony we will disclose today from two witnesses who confirmed that a confrontation occurred.
The first witness is a former White House employee with national security responsibilities.
After seeing the initial violence at the Capitol on TV, the individual went to see Tony Ornato, the Deputy Chief of Staff in his office.
ELAINE LURIA: Mr. Ornato was there with Bobby Engel, the President's lead Secret Service agent.
This employee told us that Mr. Ornato said the President was quote, "irate", when Mr. Engel refused to drive him to the Capitol.
Mr. Engel did not refute what Mr. Ornato said.
The second witness is retired Sergeant Mark Robinson of the DC Police Department who was assigned to the President's motorcade that day.
He sat in the lead vehicle with the Secret Service agent responsible for the motorcade, also called the TS agent.
Here's how Sergeant Robinson remembered the exchange.
[Begin Videotape]
UNKNOWN: Was there any description of what — of what was occurring in the car?
MARK ROBINSON: No, only that on — the only description I received was that the President was upset and was adamant about going to the Capitol and there was a heated discussion about that.
UNKNOWN: And when you say heated, is that your word or is that the word that was described by the TS agent?
MARK ROBINSON: No — word described by the TS agent, meaning that the President was upset and he was saying there was a heated argument or discussion about going to the Capitol.
UNKNOWN: About how many times would you say you've been part of that motorcade with President?
MARK ROBINSON: Ha. Ha. Ha.
Probably over 100 times.
UNKNOWN: And in that 100 times, have you ever witnessed another discussion of an argument or heated discussion with the President where the President was contradicting where he was supposed to go or what the Secret Service believed was safe?
MARK ROBINSON: No.
[End Videotape]
ELAINE LURIA: Like other witnesses, Sergeant Robinson also testified that he was aware that individuals in the crowd were armed.
[Begin Videotape]
MARK ROBINSON: Yes, I believe he was on special events channel in — I was monitoring the traffic.
So I can hear some of the unit pointing out to individuals that there were individuals along Constitution Avenue that were armed that were up in the trees and I can hear the units responding to those individuals.
So there's always a concern when there's a [POTUS] in the area.
[End Videotape]
ELAINE LURIA: And like other witnesses, Sergeant Robinson told us that the President still wanted to travel to the Capitol even after returning to the White House.
[Begin Videotape]
UNKNOWN: So at the end of the speech, what was the plan supposed to be?
MARK ROBINSON: So at the end of the speech, we do know that while inside the limo, the President was still adamant about going to the Capitol.
That's been relayed to me by the TS agent.
And so we did [depart] the Ellipse and we responded back to the White House.
However, we at the motorcade — POTUS motorcade was placed on standby.
And so we were told to stand by on the West exac [ph] until they confirmed whether or not the President was going to go to the Capitol.
And so I may have waited, I would just estimate maybe 45 to — 45 minutes to an hour waiting for Secret Service to make that decision.
[End Videotape]
ELAINE LURIA: The motorcade waited at the White House for more than 45 minutes before being released.
The committee is also aware that accounts of the angry confrontation in the Presidential SUV have circulated widely among the Secret Service since January 6th.
Recent disclosures have also caused the committee to subpoena yet further information from the Secret Service, which we've begun to receive and will continue to assess.
The committee is also aware that certain Secret Service witnesses have now retained new private counsel.
We anticipate further testimony under oath and other new information in the coming weeks.
After the Secret Service refused to take President Trump to the Capitol, he returned to the White House.
What you see on the screen is a photo of him inside the Oval Office immediately after he returned from the rally still wearing his overcoat.
A White House employee informed the President as soon as he returned to the Oval about the riot at the Capitol.
Let me repeat that.
Within 15 minutes of leaving the stage, President Trump knew that the Capitol was besieged and under attack.
At 1:25, President Trump went to the private dining room off the Oval Office.
From 1:25 until 4:00, the President stayed in his dining room.
Just to give you a sense of where the dining room is situated in the West Wing, let's take a look at this floor plan.
The dining room is connected to the Oval Office by a short hallway.
Witnesses told us that on January 6th President Trump sat in his usual spot at the head of the table facing a television hanging on the wall.
We know from the employee that the TV was tuned to Fox News all afternoon.
Here you can see Fox News on the TV showing coverage of the joint session that was airing that day at 1:25.
Other witnesses confirm that President Trump was in the dining room with the TV on for more than two and a half hours.
There was no official record of what President Trump did while in the dining room.
On the screen is the Presidential call log from January 6th.
As you can see, there's no official record of President Trump receiving or placing a call between 11:06 and 6:54 pm.
As to what the President was doing that afternoon, the Presidential Daily Diary is also silent.
It contains no information from the period between 1:21 pm. and 4:03 pm.
There are also no photos of President Trump during this critical period between 1:21 in the Oval Office and when he went outside to the Rose Garden after 4:00.
The chief White House photographer wanted to take pictures because it was in her words, very important for his archives and for history, but she was told quote, "no photographs".
Despite the lack of photos or an official record, we've learned what President Trump was doing while he was watching TV in the dining room.
But before we get into that, it's important to understand what he never did that day.
Let's watch.
[Begin Videotape]
UNKNOWN: So are you aware of any phone call by the President of the United States to the Secretary of Defense that day?
PAT CIPOLLONE: Not that I'm aware of, no.
UNKNOWN: Are you aware of any phone call by the President of United States to the attorney general of the United States that day?
PAT CIPOLLONE: No.
UNKNOWN: Are you aware of any phone call by the President of the United States to the Secretary of Homeland Security that day?
PAT CIPOLLONE: I'm not aware of that, no.
UNKNOWN: Did you ever hear the Vice President — or excuse me, the President ask for the National Guard?
KEITH KELLOGG: No.
UNKNOWN: Did you ever hear the President ask for a law enforcement response?
KEITH KELLOGG: No.
UNKNOWN: So as somebody who works in the national security space and with the National Security Council here, if there were going to be troops present or called up for a rally in Washington DC, for example, is that something that you would have been aware of?
KEITH KELLOGG: Yeah, I would have.
UNKNOWN: Do you know if you asked anybody to reach out to any of those that we just listed off?
National Guard, DOD, FBI, Homeland Security, Secret Service, Mayor Boswer, or the Capitol Police about the situation in the Capitol.
NICHOLAS LUNA: I am not aware of any of those requests.
No, sir.
[End Videotape]
ELAINE LURIA: We have confirmed in numerous interviews with senior law enforcement and military leaders, Vice President Pence's staff and DC government officials, none of them, not one, heard from President Trump that day.
He did not call to issue orders.
He did not call to offer assistance.
This week we received a — additional testimony from yet another witness about why the President didn't make any efforts to quell the attack.
The former White House employee with national security responsibilities told us about a conversation with senior advisor, Eric Herschmann, and Pat Cipollone, the top White House lawyer.
This conversation was about a pending call from the Pentagon seeking to coordinate on the response to the attack.
Mr. Herschmann turned to Mr. Cipollone and said, the President didn't want to do anything.
And so Mr. Cipollone had to take the call himself.
So if President Trump wasn't calling law enforcement or military leaders, what did President Trump spend his time doing that afternoon while he first settled into the dining room?
He was calling Senators to encourage them to delay or object to the certification.
Here's Kayleigh McEnany, his press secretary, to explain.
[Begin Videotape]
UNKNOWN: All right.
That says back there and he wants list of Senators.
And then he's calling them one by one.
Do you know which ones he called?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY: To the best of my recollection, no.
As I say in my notes, he wanted a list of the Senators.
And, you know, I left him at that point.
[End Videotape]
ELAINE LURIA: Because the Presidential call log is empty, we do not yet know precisely which Senators President Trump was calling.
But we do know from Rudy Giuliani's phone records that President Trump also called him at 1:39 after he had been told that the riot was underway at the Capitol.
Mr. Giuliani was President Trump's lead election attorney.
According to the phone records, the President's call with him lasted approximately four minutes.
Recall that Fox News was on in the dining room.
Let's take a look at what was airing as this call was ending.
[Begin Videotape]
UNKNOWN: The President, as we all saw, fired this crowd up.
They've all — tens of thousands, maybe 100,000 or more have gone down to the Capitol or elsewhere in the city and they're very upset.
Now I jumped down as soon as we heard the news that Bret gave you about, Mike Pence.
I started talking to these people.
I said, what do you think?
One woman, an Air Force veteran from Missouri said she was quote, "disgusted to hear that news and that it was his duty to do something".
And I told her, I said there's nothing in the Constitution unilaterally that Vice President Pence could do.
She said, that doesn't matter.
He should have fought for Trump.
[End Videotape]
ELAINE LURIA: At 1:49, here's what was happening at the Capitol with President Trump's fired up supporters.
[Begin Videotape]
UNKNOWN: We're going to give — fire a warning.
We're going to try to get compliance, but this is now effectively a riot.
1:49 hours declaring it a riot.
[End Videotape]
ELAINE LURIA: What did President Trump do at 1:49 as the DC police at the same time were declaring a riot at the Capitol.
As you can see on the screen, he tweeted out a link to the recording of his Ellipse speech.
This was the same speech in which he knowingly sent an armed mob to the Capitol, but President Trump made no comment about the lawlessness and the violence.
I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.
TO BE CONTINUED ...