People are disturbed by the fact that Trump’s Acting Secretary of Defense didn’t discuss deploying the National Guard to the Capitol Building today with Trump, but rather only with Pence, Pelosi, McConnell, Schumer and Hoyer:
This is nuts. The Acting Secretary of Defense acknowledging that he and the Joint Chiefs Chairman did not discuss deploying the National Guard with President Trump – but rather with VP Pence and Congressional leaders. pic.twitter.com/b8gAT9bnSC
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) January 6, 2021
Why was the Commander-in-Chief left out of this discussion?
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted earlier that the National Guard was deployed at Trump’s direction:
At President @realDonaldTrump’s direction, the National Guard is on the way along with other federal protective services.
We reiterate President Trump’s call against violence and to remain peaceful.
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) January 6, 2021
Dupree tweets that the New York Times has confirmed this:
Confirming prior reporting https://t.co/oT1yi2Tfnd
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) January 6, 2021
Didn’t give the order? It sounds like he wasn’t even consulted!
Sean Davis suggests this sounds like more of a coup than what we just witnessed at the Capitol:
That seems a bit more coup-ish than randos rioting at the Capitol. Crazy. https://t.co/gsswDLAKPF
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 6, 2021
It is very odd, but I wouldn’t go that far yet. Perhaps there’s a legitimate reason why Trump wasn’t in this discussion. It could be that Trump sent Pence to the discussion in his place because he was busy recording a video to tell people to stop with the rioting? Just a guess, but my point is we need more information on this.