Jan 10, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Larry Hogan: Feds took hours to approve Maryland National Guard after mob breach

Orion Rummler

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) was unable to get federal authorization to deploy his state's National Guard to the U.S. Capitol until two hours into a siege on the building by a pro-Trump mob, he told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

Why it matters: Videos of the attack show Capitol and D.C. police largely overwhelmed by the crowd, which featured a mix of rioters wearing zip ties, body armor and weapon holsters and unarmed participants. Five people, including a Capitol police officer, died as a result of the riot, according to officials.

What he's saying: "We immediately sent police assistance, immediately called up the National Guard. It's a little bit of a tricky situation. In most cases, one governor could send his national guard into another state to help another one. But in D.C., only the Defense Department can do that," Hogan said, noting that he was unaware of what circumstances at the Pentagon or the White House contributed to the delay.

"Our guard mobilized and was ready, but we couldn't actually cross over the border into D.C. without the OK, and that was quite some time," he said. "Eventually, I got a call from Ryan McCarthy, the secretary of the army, asking if we could come into the city. ... We were just waiting for that call."

Of note: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) renewed a long-standing call for Washington to become the nation's 51st state after the siege on the Capitol.

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Larry Hogan: Feds took hours to approve Maryland National Guard after mob breach

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