Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Pro-Trump supporters breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Certification. Photo: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty
The National Guard joined state and federal law enforcement on Wednesday afternoon in attempting to curtail a pro-Trump protest that turned violent as rioters breached the U.S. Capitol and Senate chambers during the Electoral College vote count.
Driving the news: Vice President Mike Pence encouraged the Pentagon mid-afternoon to rapidly deploy the National Guard to the Capitol, sources briefed tell Axios' Jonathan Swan.
The big picture: The Pentagon said roughly 1,100 District of Columbia National Guard members were activated to help federal law enforcement respond to the mob per D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's request, AP reports.
- President-elect Joe Biden incited President Trump to “step up," on national television Wednesday afternoon.
- In a live phone interview with CBS News, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the situation within the Capitol wasn’t controlled and that: “Help is needed.”
The state of play: White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany wrote in a tweet around 3:30 p.m. ET — about an after the mob first stormed Capitol Hill — that the National Guard had been called in at Trump's direction.
- Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said he would send members of the state National Guard and 200 members of the Virginia State Police to Washington. In a tweet at 3:29 p.m., he added the action came at Bowser's request.
- “The FBI has been deployed to assist our U.S. Capitol Police partners as requested in protection of federal property and public safety,” FBI National press secretary Carol Cratty said in a statement to Axios.
- The deployment of FBI agents "signaled the growing alarm among federal officials viewed the chaos swirling around the Capitol building on Wednesday," the New York Times writes.
- The Department of Homeland Security deployed Federal Protective Service and Secret Service "to provide assistance to Capitol Hill Police," a DHS spokesperson told Axios.
- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan also announced plans around 3:45 p.m. to send troopers and call up a rapid response force to support law enforcement in D.C.
- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joined Northam and Hogan at 4:57 p.m., tweeting that he will deploy New Jersey State Police to D.C. at the request of D.C. officials. The New Jersey National Guard is on standby, he noted.
- At close to 5 p.m., Bowser said at a press conference that "the metropolitan police department has been deployed to assist the U.S. Capitol Police in restoring order to the capitol."
- Capitol Police also issued safety guidance to staff in multiple federal buildings.
Of note: The District of Columbia Council issued a statement earlier Wednesday saying, "the Department of Defense denied a request by Mayor Muriel Bowser to expand the responsibilities of the District of Columbia National Guard..."
Go deeper: In photos: Protestors storm U.S. Capitol