Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced early Friday morning that he ordered the return of Florida National Guardsmen from the nation’s capital following reports of troops being forced to evacuate the Capitol building grounds and wait in a parking garage after an alleged mask complaint from a Democrat congressman, emphasizing they are soldiers and “not Nancy Pelosi’s servants.”
“Last night, I ordered our Adjutant General to bring Florida National Guard soldiers home from the National Capital Region,” the Republican governor announced:
Last night, I ordered our Adjutant General to bring Florida National Guard soldiers home from the National Capital Region.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 22, 2021
“They’re soldiers. They’re not Nancy Pelosi’s servants,” DeSantis said during a Friday morning appearance on Fox & Friends.
“And this comes on the back end of them trying to investigate the backgrounds of our guardsmen,” he continued. [In] Florida, we did not let them go into their political beliefs. I thought that was totally inappropriate. I thought it was very disrespectful for people who are clearly patriots.”
“So this is a half-cocked mission at this point and I think the appropriate thing is to bring them home,” he added:
It was an honor to witness Henry Sayler receive his first dose of the vaccine today. Florida is rapidly approaching a monumental milestone of 1 million seniors vaccinated. #SeniorsFirst pic.twitter.com/JoL6N1ybOH
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 22, 2021
Troops were reportedly forced to evacuate the Capitol grounds over an alleged mask complaint lodged by a Democrat congressman, Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA), who reported the incident to the Capitol authorities earlier in the day.
As Breitbart News reported, Keating reportedly “commented out loud that masks were required to be worn at all times in a federal building” after spotting the maskless National Guard member in a cafe. The National Guard member reportedly responded, “I appreciate my freedom,” a source told Breitbart News:
According to Politico, one unit “was abruptly told to vacate the facility on Thursday” and “forced to rest in a nearby parking garage without internet reception, with just one electrical outlet, and one bathroom with two stalls for 5,000 troops.”
“Yesterday dozens of senators and congressmen walked down our lines taking photos, shaking our hands and thanking us for our service,” a Guardsman said, according to the outlet.
“Within 24 hours, they had no further use for us and banished us to the corner of a parking garage,” the Guardsman added. “We feel incredibly betrayed”:
And if you want to use the bathroom, well pic.twitter.com/YXLawaqA0Q
— Alex Horton (@AlexHortonTX) January 22, 2021
I just visited the solders who have been abandoned & insulted by our leaders. I brought them pizza and told them that they can sleep in my office.
No soldier will ever, ever sleep on a garage floor in the US Capitol while I work in Congress
Our Troops deserve better. pic.twitter.com/4attFqhRRJ
— Madison Cawthorn (@CawthornforNC) January 22, 2021
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has also ordered Texas National Guard troops to return home, making the announcement Thursday evening:
I have instructed General Norris to order the return of the Texas National Guard to our state. @TexasGuard
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 22, 2021
Roughly 25,000 troops arrived in D.C. to assist local authorities with security for President Biden’s inauguration.
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