Twelve National Guardsmen have been removed from their duties as presidential inauguration security after ties to extremist groups were found.
While National Guard officials would not say which groups the Guard members belonged to or what unit they served in, they did confirm that the service members were of no threat to Joe Biden. Their removal comes as the FBI examines all 25,000 National Guard troops scheduled to work the inauguration, as they grow increasingly concerned over insider threats.
However, National Guard chief, General Daniel Hokanson, said that he was not concerned about insider threats, as the armed troopers were “trained and ready for anything.”
In addition to the 25,000 National Guardsmen from all 50 states who will be present for the inauguration, the Pentagon has also authorized an additional 750 active-duty troops to help guard the Capitol. These troops are experts in chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological, and explosive weapons.
