Overview Yes, Donald Trump effectively refused or failed to facilitate the timely deployment of the National Guard during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. As President, Trump held exclusive statutory authority over the D.C. National Guard (per D.C. Code § 49-409 and 10 U.S.C. § 12406), yet he issued no formal order to mobilize troops before or during the attack. Despite vague pre-riot comments about needing "10,000 troops," his administration's Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley testified under oath that no directive was given. Trump did not contact Pentagon leaders on January 6, watched the violence unfold on TV for hours without intervening, and reportedly resisted initial requests to send aid—contributing to a 4-hour delay (troops arrived 5:40 p.m., after most violence subsided). This inaction contrasts with Vice President Mike Pence, who actively urged deployment around 4:00 p.m. Claims that Trump "ordered" troops but was blocked (e.g., by Nancy Pelosi) are false: Pelosi had no authority over the Guard, and no records show a Trump order. Delays stemmed from Pentagon "optics" concerns, miscommunications, and Trump's passivity, per bipartisan reports. Key Timeline: Trump's Inaction on National Guard Deployment Based on Department of Defense timelines, House January 6 Committee transcripts, and Senate reports (updated through 2024 hearings). | Time (Jan. 6, 2021) | Event | Trump's Involvement | |---------------------|--------|---------------------| | Pre-Riot (Jan. 3–5) | Trump mentions "10,000 troops" in casual talks with aides (e.g., Jan. 5 call with Miller). No formal order issued. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund requests Guard standby, but Capitol Police Board (not Trump/Pelosi) denies due to "optics." | Vague suggestion only; no directive to deploy to Capitol. Miller testified: "No order from the president." | | ~12:53 p.m. | Riot begins; barriers breached. Sund urgently requests Guard from House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving (Pelosi appointee). | Trump at White House, watching rally aftermath; no calls to DoD. | | 1:00–2:00 p.m. | Capitol breached; Pence, Pelosi, and Schumer call for immediate aid. Irving gets Pelosi's approval (1:43 p.m.) to request Guard. Formal request to Pentagon at 2:26 p.m. | Trump tweets support for rioters ("Remember this day forever!"); reportedly says "they're doing what they should be doing" to aides. No intervention. | | 2:00–3:00 p.m. | Army Sec. Ryan McCarthy and Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt hesitate due to "visual of National Guard standing a line with the Capitol in the background." Mobilization approved ~3:04 p.m. | Trump watches on TV; calls lawmakers (e.g., Sen. Mike Lee) to overturn election but not DoD/AG. D.C. Guard Cmdr. William Walker testified a Trump call could have sped response by hours. | | ~4:00 p.m. | Pence directly intervenes with Miller: "Get the National Guard down here." Trump gives vague approval only after. | Passive; no proactive order. Milley: Trump "said whatever." | | 5:08 p.m. | Troops en route; first arrive ~5:40 p.m. (135 Guard members). Violence largely quelled by MPD/Capitol Police. | Trump tweets at 6:01 p.m.: "Go home... We love you." Video recorded Jan. 7 claims he "immediately deployed" Guard—false. | Total Delay: ~3.5–4 hours from breach to Guard arrival, despite armory 2 miles away. Walker: "Seconds mattered." Trump's Post-Riot Claims: He falsely asserted he "offered" 10,000 troops rejected by Pelosi (debunked; she lacks authority). Recent X posts (Oct. 2025) recirculate this, e.g., LindellTV video of Pelosi denying refusal. Addressing Common Misinformation Trump allies (e.g., House Republicans, Fox News) claim he "directed" troops pre-riot, citing 2024 transcripts from aide Anthony Ornato. But Ornato described informal discussions, not orders; courts (e.g., Colorado case) deemed related testimony "not credible." Fact-checks from AP, FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, and WaPo (2021–2024) rate these "False." | Claim | Source | Evidence Against | Rating | |-------|--------|------------------|--------| | Trump ordered 10,000 troops pre-riot | Trump (2021–2025), Fox News, X posts (e.g., LindellTV) | Miller/Milley testimony: No order. DoD timeline: No record. | False (AP, PolitiFact) | | Pelosi refused Trump's offer | Trump, House GOP (2024 transcripts) | Pelosi uninvolved in Guard decisions; approved requests during riot. | False (WaPo, USA Today) | | Pentagon "ignored" Trump | House Administration Committee (Sept. 2024) | No directive to ignore; delays from internal DoD caution. | Misleading (Politico) | | Trump "immediately" deployed | Trump video (Jan. 7, 2021) | Guard arrived 4+ hours late; Pence led effort. | False (NYT, FactCheck.org) | Broader Context Authority: Only Trump could order D.C. Guard; delays weren't from Pelosi but Trump's silence and DoD hesitation (e.g., post-2020 Floyd protests scrutiny). Investigations: Bipartisan Senate report (2021) and Jan. 6 Committee (2022) fault Trump's inaction; 2024 House GOP probes found no new evidence of orders. Recent X Discourse (Oct. 2025): Posts amplify Pelosi confrontation videos, claiming she "refused" Guard, but she correctly notes Trump's failure to send them. Counterposts cite Miller's testimony debunking orders. For full details: DoD Timeline (Jan. 2021), Jan. 6 Committee Report (Dec. 2022), Senate Rules Report (June 2021).

The former president repeatedly blamed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

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