Trump initially did not want to deploy the National Guard today, source says
President Trump, who has proven over the past year to be eager to deploy the National Guard when violence breaks out, initially resisted doing so on Capitol Hill today as a mob of his supporters breached the building, according to a source familiar.
Vice President Mike Pence was on the phone with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, according to another source, and encouraged a much quicker deployment of the National Guard to the Capitol to help quell the rioters who were breaking through security barriers and overwhelming Capitol Police.
However, the source notes, Pence does not have authority over the National Guard.
As reported earlier, a White House adviser said some aides around Trump were furious that the President didn't do more to stop the insurrection at the Capitol. The adviser said aides have been all but begging Trump to come out and make a statement to begin to calm the situation.
A White House official said aides to the President went to Trump to have him make the order to deploy the national guard to the US Capitol. The official said aides also asked that Trump record a video calling for an end to the siege on the Hill.
A source familiar with the situation said White House staffers are "horrified" by the violence at the Capitol and are worried there will be more trouble on the streets tonight.
"He doesn't want to" to do more than what he is doing right now, the adviser said.
"If we could throw him to the angry mob, we'd throw him to the angry mob now," the adviser said.
