Fact check: What role did the Defense Department play in Capitol security planning before January 6th?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses provided suggest that the Department of Defense played a role in Capitol security planning before January 6th ^{[1] [2] [3]}. According to these sources, the Department of Defense was involved in security planning, with the Acting Secretary of Defense conferring with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of the Army on December 31, 2020, and subsequently approving the activation of the DCNG to support law enforcement on January 3, 2021 ^[1]. The DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) report also evaluates requests for DoD support before January 6, 2021, and how the DoD responded to such requests, indicating that the Department of Defense played a role in Capitol security planning before January 6th ^[2]. Additionally, the Pentagon had authority over the D.C. National Guard and initially denied requests for the deployment of Guardsmen, but later approved their deployment ^[3]. Other sources provide more context, stating that the Defense Department's role in Capitol security planning before January 6th was influenced by concerns about being seen as involved in a military coup or interfering with the election results ^[4]. The city officials and Pentagon officials had different views on the deployment of National Guard troops, with the city officials claiming it was the Pentagon's decision, while Pentagon officials said they were responding to the city's wishes to 'keep things de-escalated' ^[5]. The Department of Defense's official website provides a timeline of the National Guard's response to the Capitol attack, with the District of Columbia officials requesting assistance, and the National Guard responding with 340 troops for traffic control and crowd management ^[6].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Some sources do not mention the role of the Defense Department in Capitol security planning before January 6th ^{[7] [8] [9]}. These sources focus on other aspects, such as the FBI and Homeland Security's handling of intelligence before January 6 ^{[7] [8]} and the FBI's handling of its confidential human sources and intelligence collection efforts ^[9]. Alternative viewpoints include the possibility that the Department of Defense's role in Capitol security planning was more limited than suggested by some sources, or that the city officials and Pentagon officials had different understandings of the deployment of National Guard troops. Key omitted facts include the specific details of the Department of Defense's planning and execution efforts, as well as the communication between the city officials and Pentagon officials regarding the deployment of National Guard troops. Some sources provide more detailed information, such as the DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) report, which evaluates requests for DoD support before January 6, 2021, and how the DoD responded to such requests ^[2].

• The Department of Defense's official website provides a timeline of the National Guard's response to the Capitol attack ^[6]
• The city officials and Pentagon officials had different views on the deployment of National Guard troops ^[5]
• The Defense Department's role in Capitol security planning before January 6th was influenced by concerns about being seen as involved in a military coup or interfering with the election results ^[4]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement asks about the role of the Defense Department in Capitol security planning before January 6th, without providing context or specifying what aspects of security planning are being referred to. Potential bias in the original statement includes the possibility that the question is framed to elicit a specific response or to imply a particular level of involvement by the Department of Defense. Who benefits from this framing includes those who want to emphasize the Department of Defense's role in Capitol security planning, such as those who want to criticize the Department's response to the January 6th attack. On the other hand, those who want to downplay the Department's role may benefit from a more nuanced understanding of the events leading up to the attack. The sources provided offer different perspectives, with some emphasizing the Department of Defense's involvement in security planning ^{[1] [2] [3]} and others providing more context or alternative viewpoints ^{[4] [5] [6]}.