The Democrat-run House Jan. 6 committee suppressed testimony about President Trump pushing for National Guard troops to protect the U.S. Capitol on the day of the riot.
Newly revealed interview transcripts show the former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Ornato told the now-defunct select committee that Mr. Trump wanted 10,000 National Guard troops to protect the nation’s capital on Jan. 6, 2021.
The Committee on House Administration’s subcommittee on oversight, which investigated how the Jan. 6 committee operated, released the transcript of the interview.
The interview, first reported by the Federalist, happened in January 2022, but the Jan. 6 committee never made it public.
The interview also recounts frustration within the Trump White House over the slow deployment of National Guard troops.
The lawmakers who led the Jan. 6 committee — Reps. Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi Democrat, and former Rep. Liz Cheney, Wyoming Republican — did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Times.
“The former J6 Select Committee apparently withheld Mr. Ornato’s critical witness testimony from the American people because it contradicted their pre-determined narrative,” said Rep. Barry Loudermilk, the Georgia Republican who chairs the oversight subcommittee.
“Mr. Ornato’s testimony proves what Mr. Meadows has said all along, President Trump did in fact offer 10,000 National Guard troops to secure the U.S. Capitol, which was turned down.”
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi Democrat, who chaired the Jan. 6 committee, said the new criticism of the committee was “dishonest.”
“The Select Committee’s final report took into account the testimony of all witnesses, including the transcript that was released today,” he said. “All the evidence points to the same conclusion: Donald Trump wanted to join his violent mob as it marched on the Capitol, and he was irate when his security detail told him he couldn’t go.”
Mr. Thompson said his committee was obligated to send transcripts such as the interview of Mr. Ornato to the executive branch for review and the information Mr. Ornato provided was already well known.
“The Select Committee was obligated to take these steps in order to protect sensitive information as well as the privacy of witnesses,” Mr. Thompson said.
According to the transcript, a Jan. 6 committee staffer asked Mr. Ornato, “When it comes to the National Guard statement about having 10,000 troops or any other number of troops, do you recall any discussion prior to the 6th about whether and how many National Guard troops to deploy on Jan. 6?”
Mr. Ornato said he remembered a conversation between White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
“He was on the phone with her and wanted to make sure she had everything that she needed,” he said. “I remember the number 10,000 coming up, you know, ‘The president wants to make sure that you have enough.’ You know, ‘He is willing to ask for 10,000.’”
Mr. Ornato said that Ms. Bowser replied she was all set and already had about 350 guardsmen for intersection control, which is not a law enforcement capacity.
Ms. Bowser ultimately rejected Mr. Trump’s offer for 10,000 National Guard troops and asked for only several hundred to serve in a limited role.
Mr. Ornato said the White House then requested a “quick reaction force” from the Defense Department in case it was needed.
“I remember Chief Meadows talking to DOD about that, I believe, I remember Chief Meadows letting me know that, ‘Hey, there was going to be National Guard that’s going to be at Joint Base Andrews,” he said.
Once the Capitol was breached, the Trump White House pushed for immediate help from Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller and grew frustrated at the slow deployment of that help, according to the testimony.
“So then I remember the chief saying, ‘Hey, I’m calling the secretary of defense to get that [quick reaction force] in here,” Mr. Ornato said. Later he said, “I remember the chief telling Miller, ‘Get them in here, get them in here to secure the Capitol now.’”
The House Administration Committee’s oversight panel has issued its initial report on its investigation into the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
On Tuesday, the committee will launch a series of hearings examining the events of Jan. 6, beginning with the investigation into pipe bombs placed that day outside the Washington headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties.
According to the committee, a final report will be released later this year.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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