"Lofgren asked whether Capitol police had enough officers to handle the capacity, and if they had the National Guard on standby and available to quickly help if needed.

"Sund insisted, yes, they had both bases covered, Lofgren said."

I have

Sund told Tim Ryan the same thing, BUT:

"In fact, three days earlier, Capitol police had told the Pentagon that it was not requesting National Guard support for the event, according to defense officials."

So either Sund was lying about requesting support or DoD is lying.
Both are plausible given everything that happened the day of. But either the Capitol Police Chief or the Department of Defense lied about whether Capitol Police had requested National Guard back-up.

We do know DoD hamstrung Guard units' ability to respond to rioting.
So there was a designated protest zone on the Capitol grounds, but when folks left the rally and marched toward the Capitol, no one was directing them toward the designated protest zone? There was nothing ensuring they went there and not...wherever they wanted?
"A seeming fortress from a distance, the Capitol contains more than 400 separate doors, entryways and ground-level windows."

I hope limiting entry points is one of the first major steps they take to preventing something like this again.
"Protesters were already crossing the plaza. 'What are you going to do about it?' Waters asked. 'We’re doing the best we can,' came Sund’s reply, she said, and then the line went dead."

WTF?
"The Senate sergeant at arms was placing a call to a law enforcement association that can organize mutual aid from county and state police forces... The request was brand new, and it would take an hour or two for any officers to arrive, Stenger was told."
"Stenger began talking about bringing in the National Guard. While a few hundred D.C. National Guard members had been activated and were elsewhere in the city, the two aides realized there was no arrangement to pre-stage military assets to help at the Capitol...
"In fact, a small quick-reaction force at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland had been assembled by the Defense Department to assist if needed — but it did not immediately respond...
"...because of a lack of a prior planning with Capitol police over how it might be deployed, Pentagon officials said."

WHO LIED? Was it Sund and Stenger, or was it the Pentagon? Someone here isn't telling the truth.
"[Lofgren] again turned to Irving — what was going on? He said the National Guard was on its way.

"In fact, Sund had just requested National Guard support from the Defense Department. It would be hours before they would arrive."
In point of fact, Sund's initial request to the National Guard around this time was rebuffed by Sec. of Army Ryan McCarthy, because someone in McCarthy's office thought the "optics" of the Guard in the Capitol would be bad.

DC Mayor Bowser was told the same thing by Sec. Army.
"Lawmakers inside were still being evacuated when, around a side entrance, the mob came much closer to breaking their way onto the House floor — less than 10 feet away from an open door into the chamber."

They were minutes--MINUTES--from members of Congress being dead.
"Eight Pelosi staffers trapped inside their suite barricaded themselves inside a staff conference room, and huddled together under the table in the middle, hoping that the protesters who had already broken down one door...
" — and were rummaging through materials and shooting selfies with their feet up on an executive assistant’s desk — wouldn’t make it any farther inside."

My God.
"At that moment, one floor below, rioters had crashed through windows and climbed into the Capitol and clashed with police, including a lone Black Capitol police officer who tried to prevent them from ascending toward the Senate chamber."

There was 1 officer stopping them. ONE.
And that officer managed to lure the attackers in the wrong direction, giving law enforcement the seconds they needed to seal the Senate.

Fuck. This is horrifying. HORRIFYING.
"The McConnell aides heard a woman praying loudly outside their door for 'the evil of Congress be brought to an end.'"

........................
So wait. WAIT. You're telling me a McConnell aide managed to get ahold of someone who could put him in touch with the FBI Deputy Director Bowditch, who said Capitol police told him they didn't need back-up when the Capitol was BREACHED?

Steven Sund belongs in prison.
Maybe Sund was just terrible at his job, but there's a whole lot of nonsense coming from his office in all this.
Thank God for Bowditch. Honestly. That man deployed people in a hurry and knew not to fuck around.

But how fucked up is it that the call for help didn't come from Sund as soon as they knew there was trouble, and had to come from a random Senate aide?!
"Stenger was with them, and the furious lawmakers peppered him questions.

"'How does this happen? How does this happen?' demanded Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.)"

I can guess why Graham spoke up against Trump's nonsense. Apparently he draws the line at "tried to kill me."
Which shouldn't be remarkable, but there are still plenty of Republicans whose lives were jeopardized licking Trump's boots. I'm glad Graham at least has a healthy sense of self-preservation.
"Finally, the Senate sergeant at arms sat down amid the others in the room, saying to no one in particular: 'I wish I had just retired last week.'"

Mitch McConnell hired this guy.
They need to make the Inauguration small, private, and move it to a secure, undisclosed location. Absolutely do not put the line of succession together in a public exposed place, not until you've rooted out all the people who were behind this fuckery.
I'm re-reading. Maybe Sund told Bowditch they didn't need back-up when the Capitol building itself was already breached. I think it was just after the perimeter had been breached.

Still. I don't understand this level of incompetence.

More from Cate Eland

I want to break down Lindsey's letter, because it is breathtakingly hypocritical and stoking division with every sentence, despite claiming to be concerned with healing.


1) "But now, in your first act as Majority Leader, rather than begin the national healing that the country so desperately yearns for, you seek vengeance and political retaliation instead."

Trump incited an attack on the Capitol, on Congress, and on a free & fair election.

Trump has yet to concede, to apologize, or to admit he was lying about the outcome of the election. He has done nothing that demonstrates he does not continue to present a danger to our nation.

Trump's supporters continue to conspire to overthrow the government--with Trump's implicit, and quite possibly explicit--support. At this very moment, over 20,000 troops are stationed in our nation's capital to ensure the inauguration of President-Elect Biden can be completed.

It is not "vengeance" or "political retaliation" to insist a man that has fomented and continues to inspire a violent insurrection against the government is unfit ever to hold office again.

This is, in fact, a bare minimum protection for our country against future harm by Trump.

More from Politics

You May Also Like

Fake chats claiming to be from the Irish African community are being disseminated by the far right in order to suggest that violence is imminent from #BLM supporters. This is straight out of the QAnon and Proud Boys playbook. Spread the word. Protest safely. #georgenkencho


There is co-ordination across the far right in Ireland now to stir both left and right in the hopes of creating a race war. Think critically! Fascists see the tragic killing of #georgenkencho, the grief of his community and pending investigation as a flashpoint for action.


Across Telegram, Twitter and Facebook disinformation is being peddled on the back of these tragic events. From false photographs to the tactics ofwhite supremacy, the far right is clumsily trying to drive hate against minority groups and figureheads.


Declan Ganley’s Burkean group and the incel wing of National Party (Gearóid Murphy, Mick O’Keeffe & Co.) as well as all the usuals are concerted in their efforts to demonstrate their white supremacist cred. The quiet parts are today being said out loud.


The best thing you can do is challenge disinformation and report posts where engagement isn’t appropriate. Many of these are blatantly racist posts designed to drive recruitment to NP and other Nationalist groups. By all means protest but stay safe.
🌿𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓 : 𝑫𝒉𝒓𝒖𝒗𝒂 & 𝑽𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒏𝒖

Once upon a time there was a Raja named Uttānapāda born of Svayambhuva Manu,1st man on earth.He had 2 beautiful wives - Suniti & Suruchi & two sons were born of them Dhruva & Uttama respectively.
#talesofkrishna https://t.co/E85MTPkF9W


Now Suniti was the daughter of a tribal chief while Suruchi was the daughter of a rich king. Hence Suruchi was always favored the most by Raja while Suniti was ignored. But while Suniti was gentle & kind hearted by nature Suruchi was venomous inside.
#KrishnaLeela


The story is of a time when ideally the eldest son of the king becomes the heir to the throne. Hence the sinhasan of the Raja belonged to Dhruva.This is why Suruchi who was the 2nd wife nourished poison in her heart for Dhruva as she knew her son will never get the throne.


One day when Dhruva was just 5 years old he went on to sit on his father's lap. Suruchi, the jealous queen, got enraged and shoved him away from Raja as she never wanted Raja to shower Dhruva with his fatherly affection.


Dhruva protested questioning his step mother "why can't i sit on my own father's lap?" A furious Suruchi berated him saying "only God can allow him that privilege. Go ask him"