- Title: Former defense secretary defends handling of Capitol riot
- Date: 12th May 2021
- Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 12, 2021) (HOUSE TV) (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE STEPHEN LYNCH (DEMOCRAT - MASSACHUSETTS), ADDRESSING MILLER, SAYING: "This is your quote. This is your quote. (READING MILLER'S WRITTEN REMARKS) 'Would anyone, would anybody have marched on the Capitol and tried to overrun the capital without the president's speech? I think it's pretty much definitive - that would not have happened." MILLER:" I think now I would say..." LYNCH: "In your written testimony..." MILLER: "I think now I would say that (Trump's speech) was not a unitary factor at all." LYNCH: "What's that?" MILLER: "I would like to offer, I have reassessed its not the unitary factor at all. There was, it seems clear, there was an organized conspiracy with the assault elements in place..." LYNCH "In your written testimony for today - reclaiming my time again. For your written testimony for today, for today, this morning, you stated the following about the president's quote: 'I personally believe his comments encouraged the protesters that day.' That was this morning. MILLER: "That's a fair statement." LYNCH: "So, this is, a very recent reversal of you of your testimony." MILLER: "Absolutely not. That's ridiculous." LYNCH: " You're ridiculous." UNSPECIFIED LOCATION (MAY 12, 2021) (HOUSE TV) (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE RALPH NORMAN (REPUBLICAN - SOUTH CAROLINA) (READING FROM DOCUMENT), SAYING: "Okay, at 2:07 (1407 ET / 1907 GMT), a mob of Trump supporters breached the steps. I don't know who did a poll that it was Trump supporters. You had the media saying the same thing, just like you had the media saying (Capitol Police officer Brian) Sicknick was killed with a fire extinguisher, which he was not. But, I don't know who did the poll to say that they were Trump supporters.'
- Embargoed: 26th May 2021 19:07
- Keywords: Capitol Christopher Miller January 6 National Guard defense secretary military pentagon riot security
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA004ECNQTS7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Democratic lawmakers pummeled officials from Donald Trump's administration on failures to avert the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, on Wednesday (May 12).
At a House Oversight hearing examining security failures, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others repeatedly asked former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller why National Guard troops did not arrive until hours after the building was overrun.
Several noted that National Guard troops were only deployed to the Capitol after Miller spoke with Vice President Mike Pence despite requests for assistance made my Democrats including Mayor Muriel Bowser, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, hours earlier.
"That was nearly three hours after Mayor Bowser first requested National Guard assistance," Ocasio-Cortez said.
Miller responded that he issued the order at 3pm (1500 ET / 2000 GMT) but then had to spend the next 90 minutes, preparing the plan.
Asked to explain discrepancies between his account of the timeline of events and Major General William Walker, the commander of the District of Columbia's National Guard, Miller replied, "I hate to bring up (German military analyst) Clausewitz, but the fog and friction, there was so much going on. So, I can understand that there's an inconsistency and perhaps disagreement."
The term "fog of war "is often attributed to Clausewitz.
Miller dismissed suggestions he or any member of the Trump administration may have delayed authorization for deployment of National Guard troops and cited concerns about military involvement in civil unrest.
"Historically, military responses to domestic protests have resulted in violations of American's civil rights and even in the case of the Kent State protests of the Vietnam War, tragic deaths. In short, I fervently believe the military should not be utilized in such scenarios other than as a last resort and only when all other assets had been expended," Miller said in his opening remarks.
The assault on the U.S. Capitol by hundreds of President Donald Trump's followers left five dead including a police officer.
(Production: Njuwa Maina, Deborah Gembara) - Copyright Holder: HOUSE TV (USA)
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