A member of the Virginia National Guard stands near the U.S. Capitol. Approximately 2,400 Virginia guards are stationed in Washington, D.C. during the inauguration. Photo courtesy Virginia National Guard
In a tweet Tuesday, Gov. Ralph Northam decried the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denial of federal funding for the Virginia National Guard presence at the U.S. Capitol as a “slap in the face” by President Donald Trump.
“Virginia was there to defend the U.S. Capitol on January 6 — and we are committed to ensuring a peaceful transfer of power tomorrow. Now, the same president who incited this terrorism has denied us support in our efforts to stop it,” the governor tweeted. “A slap in the face.”
FEMA denied requests from Virginia and Maryland for an emergency declaration Monday, according to The Washington Post. The decision, which both states plan to appeal, would leave Virginia and Maryland state governments bearing most of the cost burden for deploying National Guard members and state and local police officers to help restore order at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection and to maintain security around the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
