Several governors are now joining Texas governor Greg Abbott in demanding their states’ National Guard troops leave Washington, D.C., following alleged mistreatment and an outbreak of COVID-19.
Last week, photos emerged of hundreds of National Guard soldiers sleeping shoulder to shoulder in parking garages in near-freezing temperatures after they were booted from the United States Capitol following President Joe Biden’s inauguration. As The Daily Wire reported Thursday, within 24 hours of the inauguration, Guard members were told that “they had no further use for us and banished us to the corner of a parking garage.”
“All National Guard troops were told to vacate the Capitol and nearby congressional buildings on Thursday, and to set up mobile command centers outside or in nearby hotels, another Guardsman confirmed,” Politico noted. “They were told to take their rest breaks during their 12-hour shifts outside and in parking garages, the person said.”
“One unit, which had been resting in the Dirksen Senate Office building, was abruptly told to vacate the facility on Thursday, according to one Guardsman. The group was forced to rest in a nearby parking garage without internet reception, with just one electrical outlet, and one bathroom with two stalls for 5,000 troops, the person said. Temperatures in Washington were in the low 40s by nightfall,” the outlet said.
Worse still, as The Daily Wire noted on Friday, after spending so much time in close quarters, there appears to be an outbreak of coronavirus among National Guard troops. “Hundreds” of guardsmen have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus after spending days in close quarters, first in the Capitol and then in parking garages. Soldiers were not given COVID-19 tests upon arriving in Washington, D.C., and asymptomatic cases reportedly flourished.
Fortunate, The Daily Wire noted, the “majority of cases are asymptomatic, and originated from the troops’ home stations.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) ordered the National Guard to Washington, but sources told Politico that there was no plan to handle logistics once the Inauguration was over, even though Democrats suggested they wanted troops to remain in the capital, potentially through early March.
President Joe Biden reportedly apologized for the incident, but governors, who sent the nearly 25,000 troops to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration, are now second-guessing that decision.
After seeing how poorly the National Guard was being treated, “Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered members of the Texas National Guard to return from Washington, D.C.,” The Daily Wire reported.
Other governors are now following suit, according to The Insider.
“Several Republican governors are recalling their National Guard troops from Washington, DC, in the wake of reports they were subjected to subpar conditions and poor treatment,” the outlet said Sunday. “On Thursday and Friday, Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida, Greg Gianforte of Montana, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, and Greg Abbott of Texas all announced they were ordering their troops home.”
“This is the most offensive thing I’ve ever heard. No one should ever question the loyalty or professionalism of the Texas National Guard,” Abbott tweeted. “I authorized more than 1,000 to go to DC. I’ll never do it again if they are disrespected like this.”
“I’ve ordered the immediate return of all New Hampshire National Guard from Washington DC. They did an outstanding job serving our nation’s capital in a time of strife and should be graciously praised, not subject to substandard conditions,” Sununu added.
“Last night, I ordered our Adjutant General to bring Florida National Guard soldiers home from the National Capital Region,” DeSantis noted, finally, late last week.
At least 7,000 troops will remain in the capital for several more weeks. Members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats say they are working to arrange more satisfactory lodging.