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Fact check: Did trump refuse to deploy the national guard on January 6th?
1. Summary of the results
The question of whether Trump refused to deploy the National Guard on January 6th is more complex than a simple yes/no answer. There are conflicting accounts about Trump's actions before and during the events:
- Trump did discuss deploying 10,000 National Guard troops with Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller on January 3rd [1], though Miller characterized this as casual "banter" rather than a formal request.
- While Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg claims Trump requested troops [2], the Pentagon and Pelosi's office state there is no official record of such a formal request [3].
- Trump never signed an actual order to deploy the National Guard during the riot itself [4].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several important contextual elements are missing from the original question:
- Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund allegedly requested National Guard support, which was reportedly blocked by House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, citing concerns from Nancy Pelosi [5].
- During the riot, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer was actively demanding to know why the Guard wasn't being deployed [6].
- Trump's own Cabinet members have contradicted his claims about ordering the National Guard deployment [6].
- The Department of Defense Inspector General confirmed discussions about troop preparations between Trump and Defense Secretary Miller [2].
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original question oversimplifies a complex series of events. Several competing narratives exist, each serving different political interests:
- Pro-Trump narrative: Claims that Trump actively tried to prevent violence by requesting troops, but was blocked by Democratic leadership concerned about "optics" [5].
- Anti-Trump narrative: Suggests Trump's inaction during the riot and his prior rhetoric contributed to the violence [7].
- Important correction: The claim that Pelosi or the House sergeant at arms could have blocked a National Guard deployment is false [4], though this narrative continues to circulate.
The truth appears to lie somewhere between casual discussions about troops and the absence of formal action, with both sides potentially using selective information to support their preferred narrative.