Former Rep. Liz Cheney’s actions on the January 6 Committee have come under scrutiny amid allegations of evidence suppression. A recently unearthed transcript reveals that the committee may have concealed crucial information regarding President Donald Trump’s purported push for 10,000 National Guard troops to safeguard the capital.
Cheney and her committee falsely claimed they had “no evidence” to support Trump officials’ claims that the White House had offered to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops ahead of January 6. A suppressed transcript from an early interview with Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Ornato contradicts these claims.
Cheney attended the interview and actively participated in questioning Ornato, which means that Cheney knew the truth. As part of the interview, Ornato disclosed that Mark Meadows, who was the White House Chief of Staff, had urged Muriel Bowser to request as many National Guard troops as needed.
Furthermore, Ornato testified that President Trump himself suggested the deployment of 10,000 troops to ensure security during the public rallies and protests scheduled for January 6, 2021.
Ornato said the White House was concerned that left-wing groups would clash with Trump protesters on January 6, but no riot was anticipated. Ornato added that Bowser only wanted about “350 or so for intersection control, and those types of things were not in the law enforcement capacity at the time.”
He also said Meadows asked if she needed more guardsmen, but Browser declined the help. Despite Bowser’s refusal to accept White House assistance, the Trump team continued its efforts to secure troops before the protests.
After the D.C. mayor declined Trump’s offer of 10,000 troops, Ornato revealed that the White House requested a “quick reaction force” from the Defense Department in case of any emergency.
According to Ornato’s testimony, Meadows informed him that the National Guard would be present at Joint Base Andrews in case they were needed. Meadows had said that if the Mayor needs any more guardsmen, “we’ll make sure they’re out there.”
Ornato said the Trump White House grew frustrated at the slow deployment of immediate help from Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller once the Capitol was breached.
According to reports, before the events of January 6, 2021, Cheney had secretly organized a pressure campaign to prevent the Defense Department from deploying resources on that day.
She coordinated an op-ed for the Washington Post, signed by her father and other former secretaries of defense, specifically to discourage the then-acting Secretary of Defense, Christopher Miller, from taking any action. “This explains why Miller was slow in sending the National Guard to respond.”
The committee not only misrepresented Ornato’s interview but also withheld the transcript from public scrutiny. Despite Cheney’s claim that the committee’s proceedings were transparent, it is worth noting that transcripts of the interviews conducted by the committee are not widely available to the public.
Only a small portion of the interviews have been made available to the public, which raises questions about the true level of transparency the committee maintains.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, chairman of the House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight, criticized the committee’s actions. He highlighted the importance of uncovering all facts regardless of their alignment with preconceived narratives and emphasized the need for transparency and integrity in the investigation process.
Ornato’s testimony not only provided early corroboration for the claim that the Trump administration had taken all the necessary precautions but had gone even further then what was needed.
This testimony contradicted the narrative of the committee, highlighting the need for a thorough review of their conduct. According to Loudermilk, “President Trump did, in fact, offer 10,000 National Guard troops to secure the U.S. Capitol, which was turned down.” Loudermilk’s subcommittee is committed to uncovering the truth behind the January 6, 2021, events and ensuring accountability for any unethical behavior.
