A National Guard spokeswoman confirmed to Fox News in a statement that there were no violent clashes with protesters in Washington, D.C., during President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Darla Torres said the National Guard had “no confrontations” with protesters Wednesday in a statement provided to Fox News. Around 25,000 National Guard troops were deployed prior to Biden’s inauguration as the 46th president of the United States after rioters breached the Capitol building while Congress certified the Electoral College results of the 2020 presidential election.
Inaugural observation: The White House and US Capitol are ringed in fences and 25k National Guard, while the new President is about to halt the building/reinforcement of the Wall on our Southern border.
— Martha MacCallum (@marthamaccallum) January 20, 2021
Law enforcement personnel from across the country also played a part in protecting the capital. New York Police Department officers and law enforcement from Calhoun County, Texas, could be seen on 15th Street, just one block from the White House, Fox News reported. (RELATED: National Guard Investigates Reported Bomb Threat At Supreme Court Just Before Biden Arrives At Inauguration)
Torres did not elaborate on when the National Guard could be heading home, according to Fox News.
“We are here at the request of federal agencies and will stay as long as we are needed to meet their requirements. If we have excess capability and capacity, we want to get those soldiers and airmen back home to their families and employers as soon as we can,” Torres’ statement read, according to Fox News.
Chief of the National Guard Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson also provided a statement to the outlet.
“Our ability to move 26,000 Soldiers and Airmen to DC from every state and territory in less than two weeks would not have been possible without the support of our governors and their adjutants general,” Hokanson told Fox. “It speaks volumes about America’s investment in the National Guard; and most importantly, the support our service members get from their family and their employers.”