The top Republican who investigated the House select committee's work on Jan. 6 believes military officials defied former President Trump and delayed sending the National Guard to the Capitol that day.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., is chairman of the House Administration Committee's oversight subcommittee. In that role, he conducted a months-long investigation into the now-defunct panel created by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., after the Capitol riot.
“From what we've learned from senior leadership within the D.C. National Guard and then from some of the information we're getting from the Pentagon, is that, yes, it was that way, from leaders within the Pentagon who, whether through incompetence , poor communications or… “Out of concern for optics, they intentionally delayed the National Guard from getting to the Capitol,” Loudermilk said.
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House Republicans are investigating January 6 and the work of the now-defunct Democratic-led January 6 committee. (AP Photo/José Luis Magaña, File)
“If they had gotten there at the time the request was made, it is arguable that lives could have been saved because there were some deaths from people being trampled, from the crowd outside. With the appearance of the National Guard, I think they would not even require commitment. “I think the image of the National Guard showing up, getting off the buses in riot gear, would have been enough to quell a lot of the violence that was happening.”
Pelosi's office responded in a statement to Fox News Digital: “Loudermilk is absolutely right that, had there not been an unexplained delay, the National Guard's response could have saved lives with its response. The request for response from the National Guard was made with enough notice to “Limit the damage caused that day. The problem is that the responsible authorities at the Pentagon (and ultimately the White House) dragged their feet.”
Pelosi and other Democrats had blamed Trump for delays in sending the National Guard for about three hours as Capitol Police and Washington, D.C., law enforcement struggled to prevent the former president's supporters from harming lawmakers.
Trump had previously blamed Pelosi for the delay, but she would not have had the authority to call in federal troops. Pelosi's office has also previously rejected any blame.
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Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., is leading the House GOP investigation. (Getty Images)
Loudermilk told Fox News Digital that based on the investigation, it appears that military officials under the Secretary of Defense were to blame. He accused them of acting “without a doubt” in direct contradiction to Trump's wishes.
“He had already delegated that authority to the Secretary of Defense,” Loudermilk said.
Pelosi's office claimed, however, that Trump “didn't” do it.
“At any point during the attack on the Capitol, Trump could have ordered a response from the DC National Guard,” Pelosi's office said. “He did not do it”.
The Loudermilk panel earlier this week released 45 minutes of footage taken by Pelosi's daughter, Alexandra Pelosi, for an HBO documentary, but previously unreleased.
Clips viewed by Fox News Digital showed military officials and others assuring lawmakers who had been evacuated to Fort McNair that the National Guard had been activated, but they could not explain the delay.
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Loudermilk said former President Trump is not to blame for National Guard delay (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)
A video shows Pelosi's exchange with a military officer at 3 p.m. on January 6, 2021, who told her that the National Guard had been activated.
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Another clip appears to show Pelosi speaking on the phone with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who said Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, promised all the support needed to deal with the protests.
“The Trump administration, from all the evidence we're gathering, was doing everything they could to ensure that there was a lot of security,” Loudermilk said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Bowser's office for comment.
