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Fact check: What do Republican members of Congress say about Trump's National Guard requests on January 6th?
Checked on June 10, 2025
1. Summary of the results
Republican members of Congress present varying accounts regarding Trump's National Guard requests on January 6th:
- Republican Chairman Barry Loudermilk claims Trump proactively met with Pentagon leaders before January 6th to request National Guard presence [1]
- Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a Republican, states he was present when Trump requested National Guard deployment on January 3rd [2]
- Some Republicans have promoted a debunked narrative claiming Trump's National Guard request was blocked by Nancy Pelosi [3]
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several important contextual elements are worth noting:
- The Pentagon leadership allegedly prioritized "optics" over security concerns according to Chairman Loudermilk [1]
- The claim about Pelosi blocking the National Guard deployment is explicitly false, as she does not have the authority to direct the National Guard [3]
- Some of the analyses provided [4] [5] discuss Republican support for different National Guard deployments in Los Angeles, which are not relevant to January 6th events
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
Several potential sources of bias and misinformation exist:
- Political Benefit: Republican members of Congress may benefit from portraying Trump as proactive in preventing violence, supporting their broader political narrative
- Conflicting Narratives: While some Republicans like Loudermilk and Kellogg present Trump as proactive [1] [2], the circulation of false claims about Pelosi's involvement [3] suggests some Republican members are willing to spread misinformation to shape the narrative
- Timeline Discrepancy: The analyses mention both January 3rd [2] and pre-January 6th meetings [1] but don't provide a clear timeline of events
- Documentation: Lt. Gen. Kellogg supports releasing full testimony to clarify events [2], suggesting current public information might be incomplete
Want to dive deeper?
Did Trump actually request National Guard deployment before January 6th Capitol riot?
What evidence exists regarding Trump's National Guard communications on January 6th?
How do Democratic members of Congress respond to claims about Trump's National Guard requests?
What does the January 6th Committee report say about National Guard deployment decisions?
Which specific Republican Congress members have made statements defending Trump's January 6th actions?