By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than two dozen states have indicated they would be willing to send National Guard troops to Washington if requested in the weeks following the presidential election and in the runup to the inauguration, Guard officials said Monday.
The District of Columbia has not yet made any formal requests for Guard troops, but officials across the government have been preparing for the possibility that the U.S. Capitol could once again be rocked by violence around the certification of the election by Congress on Jan. 6 and the inauguration two weeks later.
About 25,000 Guard troops from around the country flooded into Washington in the days after the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot, when thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s win.
The troops, along with local and federal law enforcement, locked down the city for the inauguration, securing the Capitol, monuments, Metro entrances and the perimeter of the central part of the city.
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Speaking to reporters Monday, Col. Jean Paul Laurenceau, chief of future operations for the National Guard Bureau, said it is not yet clear how many Guard troops will be needed or requested this year. He said it will depend on what the District of Columbia wants, but he noted that the National Guard Bureau and the states are leaning forward in anticipation of a request for assistance.
“We’re here to support D.C. with sustainment, lodging, transportation — anything they need to prepare for this mission,” he said.
Other officials have said it also will depend on intelligence reports assessing the potential threats to the city and the transition of power.
Fueling concerns about possible violence are Trump’s claims — without proof — that cheating is already underway in the election. At rally after rally, he has told supporters that the only way he can lose is if Democrats cheat, and he has repeatedly refused to say whether he will accept the results regardless of the outcome.
Guard members have historically provided support for presidential inaugurations, going back to the one for President George Washington.
But the 2021 event involved an enormous response due to the riot on Jan. 6, which forced lawmakers to flee the Capitol, delaying the certification of the presidential vote for hours. In the days afterward, Guard forces poured into the city by the busload.
In 2021, a few states declined to send troops, also worried about violence within their own borders and capitals.
Defense officials said Monday that 10 states have activated state Guard members to assist for the election — primarily doing cybersecurity missions. The total number of troops is about 125.
In addition, nine states and the District of Columbia have put a total of about 120 Guard troops on standby, ready to deploy if needed on Tuesday or in the following days — also mostly for cyber missions and some security.
Those states are Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. Officials said those numbers could change on Election Day as states reassess their needs.