12 National Guard Members Deployed at Biden Inauguration Excluded for "Links to Extremism and Right-Wing Militias"

Background Check Results of 25,000 Security Personnel
"No Direct Conspiracy Against President-Elect Biden Detected"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] On the eve of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, 12 out of 25,000 Army National Guard troops deployed for inauguration security were excluded from their duties. These individuals were previously known to have expressed extremist views online or were linked to right-wing militias.

According to foreign media including the AP News on the 19th (local time), the U.S. Department of Defense announced that 12 National Guard members were immediately removed from inauguration security duties. National Guard Commander Daniel Hokanson stated in a press briefing that one member was excluded after problematic text messages related to the inauguration were discovered, and another was identified through a tip for posting inappropriate content about the inauguration. The remaining 10 were found to have connections to past right-wing militia activities.

Department of Defense spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said at the briefing, "We are taking immediate action to exclude National Guard members from inauguration security duties after sufficient warnings." The Department of Defense did not disclose which regions these 12 National Guard members came from, which units they serve in, or which militias they are associated with.

The National Guard Bureau, which commands the National Guard, stated, "Due to operational security, we will not comment on the investigation process or results concerning the soldiers supporting the inauguration." According to military authorities, no direct conspiracy against President-elect Biden was found among the 12 members excluded from duty.

Earlier, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Secret Service (SS) jointly conducted background checks on all 25,000 National Guard troops deployed for Biden’s inauguration security. According to the U.S. political media outlet The Hill, this comprehensive investigation stemmed from concerns among defense officials that National Guard members assigned to security at the inauguration could act as insiders in an attack. The SS also reportedly issued warnings to all National Guard troops assembled in Washington DC ahead of Biden’s inauguration, instructing them not to post photos or descriptions online of their security duty areas and protected facilities.