WASHINGTON – Shortly after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy received the first of several phone calls from Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. Trump supporters broke the Capitol, overwhelming police officers, and Ms. Bowser wanted DC National Guard soldiers to reinforce.
Pentagon officials asked for clarification, saying they needed a request based on capabilities rather than the number of troops, defense officials said. “What do you want to do with them?” asked a US official. “There was a determined sense of urgency, but no sense of panic. We wanted to get these guys moving. “
About 90 minutes passed to meet those needs, with Mr. McCarthy already approving the redeployment of 200 troops at traffic checkpoints and metro stations in the city. More time passed before the soldiers retrieved protective gear and arrived at the Capitol.
During those hours, the crowd revolted through the halls and offices of Congress, during the building’s first siege by American citizens. Five people died, including a woman who had been shot by police when she climbed through a smashed door window outside the room of the House and a police officer who was fatally injured after being hit in the head with a fire extinguisher.
As rioters stormed the Capitol, the numerous federal and local agencies overseeing the nation’s capital produced a flood of urgent communication, but they struggled to search the command lines and coordinate a vigorous response to the attack beyond their control went out.