Fact check: Did Trump authorize National Guard deployment before January 6th Capitol events?

1. Summary of the results

The question of whether Trump authorized National Guard deployment before January 6th is complex and contested, with significant contradictions between different sources:

• Supporting claims: Multiple Trump administration officials, including Anthony Ornato and Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, testified that Trump offered 10,000 National Guard troops to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser ^{[1] [2]}. John Solomon reported that Trump offered Capitol protection four days before January 6th ^[3].
• Contradicting evidence: Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby and Department of Defense records show no evidence of a formal 10,000-troop request ^[4]. The DoD only documented plans for 340 DC National Guard members for traffic control ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are crucial for understanding this situation:

• There's a distinction between informal discussions and formal orders: While Trump discussed troop preparations with Acting Defense Secretary Miller for a "safe event" ^[2], there is no evidence of signed deployment orders ^[5].
• The role of "optics" played a significant part, with some officials reportedly blocking deployment due to concerns about appearance ^[6].
• The AP assessment concludes that Trump was not involved in National Guard decision-making for January 6th ^[5].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself oversimplifies a complex situation. Several parties have vested interests in different narratives:

• Trump allies benefit from portraying him as proactively seeking security measures, as evidenced by testimonies from former administration officials like Ornato and Kellogg ^{[1] [2]}.
• Trump critics benefit from emphasizing the lack of formal documentation and official records ^[4].
• The distinction between "discussing" and "authorizing" troops is crucial - while discussions occurred ^[2], formal authorization appears lacking ^[5].