Did Trump throw officials 'under the bus' in Capitol riots? Christopher Miller reveals how troops were moved in
In an explosive revelation, outgoing US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller has leveled claims against Donald Trump that the former president threw his top Pentagon officials ‘under the bus’, in the context of the US Capitol Siege on January 6.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Miller revealed that Trump had told them, “You’re going to need 10,000 people,” on the eve of the Capitol riots, while referring to the National Guards to be deployed at his rally the following day. However, Trump failed to issue an official order and insisted that Miller and other defense officials do what they need to do. In the absence of an official Presidential order, the troops could not be deployed leading to the delay in controlling the mayhem inside the Capitol.
Why National Guard could not be activated beforehand?
During the summer of 2020, Trump ordered the Federal Police to teargas protesters demonstrating outside the White House. The horrors of the incident prompted Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to vow that National Guards should not be deployed en masse during the 'Stop the Steal' rally on January 6. However, a Presidential order for the same would have allowed the stationing of troops in large numbers, which, in turn, could have controlled the rally from turning rogue.
Ezra Cohen, the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security appointed on November 10, happens to be a staunch Trump supporter. However, in the aftermath of the Capitol riots, even Cohen expressed his disappointment with the former president. “The president threw us under the bus. 'And when I say 'us,' I don't mean only us political appointees or only us Republicans. He threw America under the bus. He caused a lot of damage to the fabric of this country,” he said. Cohen also remarked Trump could have controlled the riots but he did not play his part responsibly when in charge.
Despite the absence of an official presidential order to deploy federal troops, Miller’s years of experience made him sense that something might go wrong. This is why he packed overnight and told his wife that he was unsure when he would be returning home. As Trump was addressing his ‘provocative’ rally, Miller and his team were keenly monitoring the situation and praying that there be no problems. “Then the damn TV pops up and everybody converges on my office,” he shared.
That was when his team made up their mind to activate the National Guard, denying allegations that they delayed in sending the troops. “'I know for an absolute fact that historians are going to look…at the actions that we did on that day and go, 'Those people had their game together',” Miller asserted.
Who is Christopher Miller?
Christopher Miller was appointed by the Trump administration as the acting United States Secretary of Defense from November 9, 2020. He retained his position till the Inauguration of the Biden-Harris administration of January 20, 2021. Miller, who hails from Iowa, is the son of former Iowa police chief Harvey Dell Miller and his mother is Lois Maxine Miller, who taught at the University of Delaware.
After earning a BA degree in history from George Washington University, he served in the military till 2014. From an enlisted soldier, he rose to the ranks of a second lieutenant before joining the United States Army Special Forces in 1993. He holds a Masters degree in national security studies from Naval War College. Miller is a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Due to his commendable service, he was promoted to the rank of a Colonel in 2009. After his retirement from the military in 2014, he served as an inspector for the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Oversight. He was the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
When Vanity Fair had inquired him about his job before Biden’s inauguration, he commented, “I cannot wait to leave this job, believe me."