Dozens of troops preparing for Joe Biden’s Inauguration were pictured napping on marble floors in the halls of Congress as Washington, D.C., remains on high alert after the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol.
Congressional reporters snapped photos of hundreds of troops early on Wednesday morning with their firearms and riot gear nearby while others were standing guard. One reporter for the Daily Telegraph captured the troops resting, “guns by their sides, under the busts of Lincoln and Washington.”
The uptick in military and law enforcement presence in Washington, D.C., comes a week after a crowd of Trump supporters breached the Capitol. He called on them to pressure lawmakers from certifying the Electoral College for President-elect Joe Biden. The pandemonium led to five deaths, countless injuries, the destruction of federal property, a lockdown of the Capitol, and dozens of arrests, but it did not stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College for Biden.
Well this is something I thought I’d never see. National Guard members getting rest in the Capitol, guns by their sides, under the busts of Lincoln and Washington. pic.twitter.com/CVDshN76eY
— Ben Riley-Smith (@benrileysmith) January 13, 2021
I spotted the National Guard sleeping in the hallways of the Capitol as I walked in this morning. pic.twitter.com/PzVpQCo5yU
— Daniella Diaz (@DaniellaMicaela) January 13, 2021
Just walked into the Capitol to find literally hundreds of troops napping and lining up in the Congressional Visitor Center— as streets around here are largely blocked.
Many are cuddling their firearms, fatigues over their heads to block light, and riot gear in neat piles. pic.twitter.com/vCHAOGMdfA
— Nathaniel Reed (@ReedReports) January 13, 2021
While some GOP House members complain about having to walk through metal detectors, National Guard troops spent night sleeping on marble floors of the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/7odvIkoBOQ
— Greg Miller (@gregpmiller) January 13, 2021
More than 70 people have been arrested in connection to the Jan. 6 events, and law enforcement officials are asking the public for help in identifying other suspects.
In addition to the violence last week, there have been reports of threats of violence leading up to Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20. To prevent further attacks, about 15,000 troops will be deployed to Washington, D.C., and they will be armed, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy decided, according to the New York Times. Those forces include the Secret Service, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Park Police.
The response is complicated by D.C.’s unique status and each force’s different jurisdiction.
The troops will be responsible for providing security around the Capitol building complex.
Pentagon officials are concerned about protests that are planned for next week. An FBI internal bulletin circulated Monday warned that armed protests were being planned for state capitals nationwide from Saturday and at the Capitol from Sunday. Another group intends to travel to D.C. this weekend so it can stage a “huge uprising” if Trump is removed from office using the Constitution’s 25th Amendment.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser sent a letter to the president on Sunday asking for an emergency declaration to obtain additional funding for inauguration security, which was granted on Monday. The move frees up readiness resources.
