Two National Guardsmen Removed from Inauguration Due to Extremist Ties

Over the course of the last two weeks, a worrisome story has been developing, as the FBI warns of a major attack on Washington DC by right-wing extremists.

Before the dust had even settled on the January 6th siege of the Capitol, authorities were working to root out potential terror threats being circulated online.  Many seemed to indicate that both the US Capitol and all 50 state capitols would be targeted on or around the date of Joe Biden’s inauguration.  In response, the National Guard stationed 25,000-plus troops in Washington DC.

But, after several members of Capitol Police were seen assisting the stormers on the 6th, the FBI felt is necessary to screen guardsmen for links to extremism.

The Pentagon didn’t care for the optics of this, and released a statement trying to tamp down the suggestion.

On Tuesday, multiple guardsmen were removed from duty after they were found to have ties to a right-wing militia.

Two U.S. Army National Guard members are being removed from the security mission to secure Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration. A U.S. Army official and a senior U.S. intelligence official say the two National Guard members have been found to have ties to fringe right group militias.

No plot against Biden was found.

The Army official and the intelligence official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity due to Defense Department media regulations. They did not say what fringe group the Guard members belonged to or what unit they served in.

The Guard remains tightlipped about the issue, however.

Contacted by the AP on Tuesday, the National Guard Bureau referred questions to the U.S. Secret Service and said, “Due to operational security, we do not discuss the process nor the outcome of the vetting process for military members supporting the inauguration.”

Protests planned for the state capitols seem to have fizzled out this week, leaving many to wonder what sort of crowd will gather in DC on Wednesday.