Fact check: At the jan 6 Capitol attack, which levels of government were responsible for calling the national guard?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, multiple levels of government were involved in calling the National Guard during the January 6 Capitol attack:

• Local Level: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser requested assistance from the National Guard both before and during the events. Initially, District of Columbia officials requested assistance for the planned protests on January 5 and 6 ^[1]. Later, around 2 p.m. on January 6, Mayor Bowser requested additional assistance ^[1].
• Federal Level: The federal government, specifically the Department of Defense, had the authority to approve and deploy National Guard forces. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy initially called up 340 National Guardsmen to help with the planned protests ^[1]. Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller immediately called up 1,100 members of the D.C. National Guard after Mayor Bowser's request for more assistance ^[1].
• Military Command Level: Major Gen. William Walker, commander of the Washington D.C. National Guard, considered deploying troops to the Capitol without approval from his superiors but ultimately waited until he received proper authorization ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several crucial pieces of context that emerged from the analyses:

• Timing and Delays: There were conflicting messages that caused delays in the National Guard response, with the House committee investigating the insurrection blaming then-President Trump for the holdup ^[3]. This suggests that while the formal authority existed at multiple levels, the actual deployment was complicated by political factors.
• Pre-existing Security Measures: The National Guard was already being prepared for deployment before January 6, with 340 guardsmen called up for the planned protests ^[1], indicating that some level of preparation existed but was insufficient.
• Subsequent Policy Changes: Following January 6, the Pentagon streamlined the approval process for urgent use of National Guard forces in D.C., giving the defense secretary sole authority to approve requests for civil law enforcement or deployments within 48 hours ^[4]. This change suggests the previous system was inadequate.
• Command Structure Tensions: The analyses reveal tension between local military commanders who wanted to act quickly and the need for higher-level approval, as evidenced by Major Gen. Walker's consideration of deploying without authorization ^[2].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation, but it oversimplifies a complex chain of command and approval process. The question implies a straightforward answer about "which levels" were responsible, when in reality:

• The responsibility was shared across multiple levels rather than residing in a single governmental tier
• The timing and effectiveness of the response involved political complications that go beyond simple governmental authority structures
• The question doesn't acknowledge that conflicting messages and delays were significant factors in the National Guard response ^[3]
• It fails to recognize that the House January 6 committee's findings specifically undercut claims that President Trump had authorized deployment of thousands of National Guard troops prior to January 6 ^[2]

The framing could potentially mislead readers into thinking there was a clear, unambiguous chain of responsibility when the evidence shows a more complex situation involving coordination challenges and political interference.