Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller restricted the National Guards’ ability to contain violence, two days before the January 6 attack by Donald Trump’s followers on the US Capitol.

Despite warnings that “militia groups and white supremacist organizations” would be among the Trump supporters, and that “some of these participants were intending to bring firearms and other weapons to the event” with a “strong potential for violence”, Miller send a memo to the Army Secretary with the limits on the Guard:

*No arrests
*No searches
*No physical contact, even touching
*No “riot control agents”
*No weapons
*No body armor or helmets

At midday on January 6, in a speech outside the White House, Trump told followers to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell” to stop the Congressional confirmation of President-elect Joe Biden.

Less than three hours later, about 800 of the supporters swept past Capitol police into the building. They chanted for the killing of legislators and Vice President Mike Pence, damaged and looted offices and corridors, and smeared feces on the walls.

Five people died, including a police officer beaten to death with a fire extinguisher.

Trump did not call the besieged Pence, and the Department of Defense balked at the deployment of the National Guard for more than an hour after a request by Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. Top legislators, huddled in the building, called the Virginia and Maryland Governors to ask for the mobilization of Guard detachments.

On December 31, Bowser and another city official delivered a written request for DC National Guard support on January 6.

Miller and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, met with Trump on January 3. A record of the discussion says Trump “concurs in activation” of the National Guard to “support law enforcement”, and Miller approved the activation of 340 Guard members the next day.