Leaders of the National Guard disputed the reports of guard members turning their backs on the presidential motorcade. Some claim it was disrespect, but there were relevant explanations for it.
The last election in 2020 left a mark on America, and allegiances are indeterminable when it comes to military service. The same goes for the Guard, who are considered professional civilian soldiers who must follow the rules, like saluting to the commander in chief.
On inauguration day, some alleged claims were troops intentionally faced away from the passing presidential entourage. When it made symbolic rounds in D.C. an abnormal behavior was spotted, reported The Epoch Times.
According to Capt. Tinashe Machona, speaker for Guard of the capital, these guardsmen were doing their jobs to protect the POTUS from possible threats. He added that those facing out were looking for threats, she told the Stars and Stripes outlet.
A video showing guard members facing away was posted online and went viral with 2 million views.
The claim is that the newly inducted president ordered the troops in the capital to stay in a parking garage when off duty, an alleged claim that they disrespected him by facing away. This was corrected by Crime Prevention Research Center President John Lott Jr. after the video went viral. He posted a tweet that it is normal for troops to look away to see their surroundings if a threat exists.
After the Capitol Breach last January 6, about 20,000 National Guard members were deployed to the U.S. capital to respond to the incident. Trump condemned it and gave remarks a while later. The claims of turning their backs on the presidential motorcade had to be cleared.
Also read: Marine One to Be Replaced by a Newer Model, Last Duty Is Ferrying President Trump.
Guard members weren't treated with respect
It is not the end of the controversy. Unknown Guard members reported that they were ordered and forced to leave the capital and stay inside a parking garage. For many lawmakers, it is indignation for the disservice brought on the guardsmen serving the country.
Next were governors who recalled their state guards as the word spread of their treatment in D.C.
According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, he was airing his indignation on Fox News last Friday, saying the servicemen are soldiers, not Nancy Pelosi's servants. He called the Washington deployment a meaningless exercise and decided to recall guard troops treated well by the new administration.
Claims of Miscommunication
One alleged cause is miscommunication that spiraled the problems. The Guard said the U.S. Capitol Police ordered troops to transfer their break area to the garage. A counter-statement from the Police's acting chief was issued Friday.
Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said that she did not tell the Guard to move into the garage after vacating the Capitol Building facilities. On other occasions, they did but not on that day.
On the day of the inauguration, the troops were informed and encouraged to stay in areas designated in the capitol and the CVC at around 2 p.m. that day.
She added that Thurgood Marshall Judicial Office Building offered the use of facilities for the guard members exclusively.
News of the way the guards' men were treated drew apologies from the White House. According to the National Guard, as for troops turning the backs on the presidential motorcade, it was a misunderstanding.
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