Fact check: Did president trump request national guard support on January 6th

1. Summary of the results

The question of whether President Trump requested National Guard support before January 6th has conflicting evidence and testimonies. Multiple sources confirm that Trump had discussions about National Guard presence, with acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller testifying that Trump instructed him to "fill" any request from DC's mayor for National Guard troops ^[1]. However, there is significant disagreement about the scale and formality of these requests. While some sources claim Trump personally requested 10,000 National Guard troops ^[2], Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby and other officials state there is no evidence of such a formal request, with Department of Defense timeline only mentioning plans for 340 National Guard members for traffic control ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are missing from the original question:

• Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund made a separate request for National Guard support on January 3rd, which was rejected by House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving ^[2]
• The rejection was allegedly due to concerns about "political optics" and potential objection from Speaker Pelosi ^[2]
• There's a significant difference between informal discussions about National Guard presence and formal requests, which isn't addressed in the original question ^[3]
• The Department of Defense Inspector General report confirms Trump's discussions about preparations, but the nature and extent of these discussions remain disputed ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself oversimplifies a complex situation where multiple parties have vested interests:

• Trump and his supporters benefit from portraying him as proactively requesting substantial National Guard support, supporting their narrative that he tried to maintain peace
• Trump's opponents benefit from emphasizing the lack of formal documentation for the 10,000 troops request, supporting their narrative of his responsibility for the events
• The discrepancy between the claimed 10,000 troops and the documented 340 National Guard members ^[3] suggests potential exaggeration in subsequent retellings
• Military officials like Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg provide one perspective ^[1], while civilian officials like Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby provide another ^[3], highlighting how institutional positions might influence interpretations of events