Then-DHS Deputy Claims Pelosi Demanded Crew-Served Machine Guns Be Deployed in DC
The acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security during the Capitol incursion, Ken Cuccinelli, made an alarming revelation during an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on her show, “The Story” on Jan. 20.
In the video below, MacCallum pointed out that the presence of 25,000 National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C. ahead of the inauguration was several times the troop levels currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Agreeing with MacCallum, Cuccinelli replied that 25,000 troops was the equivalent of an entire division. He then disclosed that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had requested the “last up of the final troops” and had asked for crew-manned machine guns.
“A division. You have a division,” he told his host. “The last up of thousands of these troops was requested by the speaker through the Capitol Police. She even wanted crew-manned machine guns in Washington. That was rejected because there’s simply no use for that in a security arrangement for a civilian undertaking. Just — so some of this has gone beyond any legitimate security need.”
It’s pretty astounding that Pelosi thought this was a reasonable request. Crew-manned machine guns are the types of weapons you see deployed against citizens in places like North Korea, Russia and nearly every African dictatorship.
These aren’t rifles or pistols, but crew-served weapons. They can dish out the hurt in ways a standard-issue carbine cannot. Fully automatic and made to confront armed enemy combatants, these should never be used against civilians.
Asking for these weapons to be put in D.C. when there were already 25,000 troops paints a questionable picture of Pelosi’s judgment.
Pelosi’s request for additional National Guard troops and machine guns also flies in the face of her outrage last June when then-President Donald Trump called for National Guard assistance to quell the riots in Washington, D.C.
In a letter to Trump, she wrote: “We are concerned about the increased militarization and lack of clarity that may increase chaos. I am writing to request a full list of the agencies involved and clarifications of the roles and responsibilities of the troops and federal law enforcement resources operating in the city. Congress and the American people need to know who is in charge, what is the chain of command, what is the mission, and by what authority is the National Guard from other states operating in the capital.”
“As peaceful people all over the country turn out to honor the memory of George Floyd and protest for change, we must ensure that their safety and their constitutional rights are being respected,” she continued.
Appearing quite unconcerned about the violence which was spreading through American cities, Pelosi, then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other lawmakers donned African kente cloth scarves and knelt for eight minutes and 46 seconds in the Capitol Visitor Center to honor Floyd before holding a press conference “unveiling a legislative package of police reforms.”
That was how Pelosi dealt with riots back then. With compassion for those who were trying to make their voices heard and through actions she hoped would appease them.
Discussing the enormous troop build-up in the nation’s capital, Cuccinelli emphasized that DHS is responsible for defending all of America, not just Washington, D.C.
In the days leading up to the inauguration, the FBI had issued warnings about armed protests in state capitals.
“The world is not about Washington. It’s supposed to be about everywhere else, which is what the Department of Homeland Security tries to keep secure,” Cuccinelli said.
He noted that he was seeing little “concern for the rest of America.”
“But when their own butt was on the line, all of a sudden they [Washington politicians] want every troop and soldier they can find to protect them. And we’re perfectly happy to contribute to keeping them safe. That’s part of our goal and our job, but not at the sacrifice of the rest of America.”
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“Congressmen aren’t more important than any other American. And everyone in this country should be kept safe and that’s what the Department of Homeland Security has endeavored to do through this entire difficult year.”
He is entirely correct. Most politicians do see themselves as more important than any other American. Those who refused to denounce the deadly riots taking place in cities throughout the country last summer have been portraying the events that occurred on Jan. 6 as the darkest day in American history.
In an appearance with Tucker Carlson on his Fox News show earlier this week, conservative commentator Jason Whitlock made a humorous, but truthful observation.
He noted that lawmakers are acting as if they’ve been through Pearl Harbor.
Well said, Whitlock.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
