Two senior Trump administration officials will defend their actions during the riot at the US Capitol on January 6 in front of the Congress.
In the latest in a series of congressional hearings centred on the Capitol riot, former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, the senior-most Pentagon official to participate, will present a testimony, defending the decisions made on the day.
According to a copy of his prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press, Miller plans to tell the House Oversight Committee that he was concerned before the insurrection that sending troops to the building could add fuel to fears of a military coup and cause a repeat of the Kent State shootings. Miller will also say he was determined that the military have only limited involvement, owing to criticism of the aggressive response to the earlier instances of civil unrest and violence in American cities.
Regarding the Democrats’ complaints of the National Guard taking too long to arrive at the scene, Miller will contend, “This isn’t a video game where you can move forces with a flick of the thumb or a movie that glosses over the logistical challenges and the time required to coordinate and synchronise with the multitude of other entities involved, or with complying with the important legal requirements involved in the use of such forces.”
Miller will also deny former US President Donald Trump’s involvement in the Defense Department’s response.
Former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen will also testify for the first time regarding the Justice Department’s role. Rosen will likely state that the Department took appropriate precautions by putting tactical and other elite units on standby after local police reports indicated that 10,000 to 30,000 people were expected at rallies and protests.
In the sessions so far, the FBI has been criticised for not sharing urgent intelligence, the Defense Department for poor preparations and the Capitol Police for an inadequate and slow law enforcement response.
“Our hearing will provide the American people the first opportunity to hear from top Trump Administration officials about the catastrophic intelligence and security failures that enabled this unprecedented terrorist attack on our nation’s Capitol,” said committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., in a statement.