Newly revealed footage from January 6, 2021 shows Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) reprimanding Trump administration officials over former President Trump’s refusal to order the National Guard to disperse the riots at the Capitol.
Members of Congress were evacuated to Fort McNair when rioters violently stormed the Capitol. Schumer can be seen in the video, which aired Monday on MSNBCyelling at then-Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy about the whereabouts of the National Guard.
“DC requested the National Guard and was denied by DOD. I would like to know a good reason why this was denied,” Schumer said. “We need them quickly. We all had to do it, I’ve never seen anything like it. We are like a third world country here. We had to rush and evacuate the Capitol.”
Trump has long claimed, falsely, that he ordered the National Guard into Washington and that then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stopped him. The claim was undermined by members of Trump’s Cabinet under oath.
Later in the video, Schumer said he would defer to then-acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller to make his case for sending the Guard.
“Okay. I spoke to the Secretary of the Army and he gave full authorization to turn it over to the National Guard. He said it wasn’t done,” Schumer said. “I’ll call the Secretary of Defense.”
In a separate clip, the majority leader also pressed acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen on his actions that afternoon and urged him to convince Trump to make the protesters go home.
“Why don’t you ask the president to tell them to leave the Capitol? Mr Attorney General, in your responsibility for applying the law. A public statement, everyone should leave,” Schumer said. “He is saying his tweet said we are for peace, law, order and order. Yes. Why don’t you get him to make that statement? Would you do it?”
MSNBC anchor Katy Tur said the network acquired the video from “congressional sources.”
The Hill has reached out to Schumer’s office for comment.
Trump’s actions on and around Jan. 6 are at the center of a criminal investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith. Smith accused Trump of conspiracy to defraud the US for his role in allegedly inspiring protesters’ attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colorado) told Tur that the video should be a “sharp reminder” of what’s at stake on the day, even three and a half years later.
“This was an insurrection. There’s no other way to classify it, that mob of rioters trying to overthrow a legitimate, legal election,” Crow said. “They did this at the request of Donald Trump. And we can’t forget that.”
“I know there are a lot of things competing for people’s attention right now. People are raising families, building businesses, doing really important things across the country,” he continued. “But again, let us not forget that there are times when our democracy is at risk. And we are still in one of those moments.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
