A sizable National Guard presence will remain at the US Capitol through mid-March, according to a spokesperson for the Guard. Previously, CBS and Politico both reported that Guard members would remain on hand through the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, which is expected the week of February 8.
As of Thursday, the National Guard committed to keeping 7,000 National Guard troops at the US Capitol through the end of the month. But on Sunday, the Guard confirmed that 5,000 of those members will remain at the Capitol through mid-March.
"We are providing assistance such as security, communications, medical evacuation, logistics and safety support to state, district and federal agencies, the National Guard said in a statement to Scripps.
There has been a persistent National Guard presence at the Capitol since the riot on Jan. 6 that occurred during the counting of the Electoral College. The attendance of National Guard members swelled to more than 25,000 coinciding with the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Despite concerns from law enforcement due to persistent threats to the US Capitol, the inauguration took place without incident, but did cause a significant disruption to life in the capital. Many streets and monuments were shut down due to fears of a repeat of the type of violence seen on Jan. 6.
The security failure that occurred during the Jan. 6 riot prompted leading law enforcement figures on Capitol Hill, including the chief of the Capitol Police, the Senate sergeant at arms and the House sergeant at arms all to step down.
