The National Guard will continue to occupy Washington, D.C. with approximately 5,000 soldiers in anticipation of violence throughout former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, according to a Politico report.
Citing “impeachment security concerns,” many soldiers will see their D.C. deployment extended, four anonymous sources told Politico. Some soldiers say they have not been briefed on any specific threat or reason for the extension.
“There is no defined situation, or mission statement. … This is very unusual for any military mission,” a soldier, who has served in Afghanistan, told Politico.
There are approximately 5,000 military members deployed to Iraq and Afganistan combined, according to the Department of Defense.
Qanon conspiracy theorists have predicted Trump will be re-inaugurated Mar. 4, raising concerns about the potential for another event similar to the Capitol riot. The theory asserts that executive authority was transferred to the military, not Biden, and that Trump will come back to power this spring, according to Reuters.
Thousands of troops are already leaving DC to scale back from the near 25,000 soldiers who were in the capital for the Jan. 6 inauguration. The governors of Montana, Florida, Texas, and New Hampshire have ordered their Guard members back home, according to Politico.
I have instructed General Norris to order the return of the Texas National Guard to our state. @TexasGuard
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 22, 2021
The impeachment trial is set to take place on Feb. 8. The National Guard will remain in D.C. until mid-March, Politico reports.
Trump’s previous impeachment trial lasted three weeks and the Senate did not vote to convict, according to ABC.
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