Military officials say National Guard will stay in D.C. in case any issues arise from upcoming events
Army and National Guard officials said Monday that 5,000 National Guard troops will stay in Washington, D.C. until mid-March in response to requests and information from other agencies, including the FBI.
More than 25,000 troops were sent to the nation's capital January 13 to provide security for President Biden's inauguration after a violent mob rioted at the Capitol while Congress was counting Electoral College votes on January 6.
Of the more than 25,000 members of the National Guard that traveled to DC to support the safety of the inauguration, about 5,000 are staying until mid-March
Acting Army Secretary John E. Whitley and Army Major General William Walker, commanding general of District of Columbia National Guard, said the decision to keep support in D.C. as requested by the United States Capitol Police is also the result of information intelligence partners like the FBI are providing.
"What I can tell you in terms of what they're briefing us is that there are several upcoming events — we don't know what they are — over the next several weeks, and they're concerned there could be situations where there are lawful protests that could either be used by malicious actors or other problems that could emerge, so I'll defer to the FBI to talk about those threats specifically," Whitley said.
There are currently 13,000 members of the Guard in D.C., which will go down to 7,000 by the end of this week.
Close to 200 members of the National Guard in the D.C. area have tested positive for the coronavirus, waid Walker, who called the number of cases "deeply troubling." More could be sidelined because of contact tracing. Walker said members who have come into contact with infected individuals will quarantine but did not give a specific number of people in quarantine when pressed by CBS News correspondent David Martin.
According to a statement provided to CBS News on Sunday, the guard is "providing assistance such as security, communications, medical evacuation, logistics and safety support to state district and federal agencies."
An advisory sent to legislators regarding threats over the upcoming impeachment trial for former President Trump was confirmed by CBS News on Monday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, said the single article of impeachment against Mr. Trump approved by the House would be transmitted to the Senate on Monday evening.