Maryland Governor Tried to Send Help for a Futile 90 Minutes

Larry Hogan says requests to send National Guard members were denied
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 8, 2021 7:35 AM CST
Maryland Governor: My Offer of Help Rejected for 90 Minutes
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan holds his hand up during a news conference in Annapolis, Md., on Thursday.   (AP Photo/Brian Witte)

Maryland's Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday that he would support the resignation or removal from office of President Trump after early attempts to send his state's National Guard to Washington, DC, on Wednesday were denied. Hogan said federal defense officials repeatedly rejected offers to send help for 90 minutes after House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called him "pleading" for help, as Capitol Police were overwhelmed, reports the Capital Gazette. Per the Baltimore Sun, Hogan could not invoke the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which allows the guard to assist in others states, because the Capitol sits on federal property. That meant the request to deploy had to come from a federal agency, which Congress is not. The order eventually came via a call from US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.

Five hundred Maryland National Guard members and 200 state troopers are to remain in Washington for the rest of the month, Hogan said at Thursday's presser at the State House in Annapolis. "There's no question that America would be better off if the president would resign or be removed from office," he added, saying Trump had "chosen to fan the flames of hate and mislead millions of voters through lies and conspiracy theories." Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis responded that Hogan should actively support calls for Trump's removal and the resignation of Maryland GOP Rep. Andy Harris, who voted to reject electoral votes. Harris has refused to resign. (More National Guard stories.)

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