Bunker Phone Calls, Military Delays: Hogan Responds To Trump Mob

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Gov. Larry Hogan (R) was on a video call with the Japanese ambassador to the U.S. when he learned about Wednesday's storming of the U.S. Capitol. He excused himself and immediately called an emergency meeting with his top public safety advisors.

While Maryland's governor conjured up a support team, the situation grew more urgent in Washington. Politicians shuffled out of their chambers as intruders delayed their final certification of Joe Biden (D) as president-elect.

Security took House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to an undisclosed location where he sheltered with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The trio called Hogan from the bunker, asking him to send backup to quell the devolving scene on Capitol Hill.

"The leaders of Congress were pleading with me, as the governor of Maryland, for the assistance from Maryland's National Guard and State Police," Hogan said at a Thursday afternoon press conference.

The governor obliged and sent 200 state troopers to Washington. Hogan also activated 500 citizen-soldiers in the guard, but he ran into a problem.

The National Guard may only cross state lines if it has clearance from authorities at its destination. A state's governor can grant this permission, but the District of Columbia is not a state. That means the guard may only enter the city limits if it has permission from the federal government, specifically the secretary of defense.

Maryland's National Guard repeatedly asked for access to the capital, but the feds denied each request. While it waited for approval, the guard organized so it could move at a moment's notice whenever it got authorization.

"I can't tell you what was going on on the other end," Hogan said. "I'm not privy to what was going on inside the White House or inside the Pentagon.

An hour and a half later, Hogan got a call from an unknown number. He picked up and found the secretary of the Army on the other end. The caller said the secretary of defense granted Maryland permission to send its soldiers.

The Maryland National Guard was the first to arrive in Washington. Five other states sent troops, bringing a total of 6,000 guard members to the district.

Maryland's guard defended the Capitol building and the Library of Congress. Hogan added that soldiers will remain in Washington until the end of the month. That means they'll be on-hand through Biden's Jan. 20 inauguration.

The Maryland State Police also helped protect the Capitol and enforce the city's 6 p.m. curfew. Additionally, the Montgomery County Police Department and the Prince George's County Police Department contributed to the effort.

"This assault on our democracy cannot stand," Hogan said. "I just want to assure all Americans that the state of Maryland will do anything and everything we possibly can to continue to secure the core of our nation's capital and to ensure the peaceful transition of power."

The governor called the mob's attack an "attempted insurrection." He blamed the violence on President Donald Trump (R), who has continuously claimed the election was rigged. Hogan said the nation would be better if Trump resigned and Vice President Mike Pence (R) finished off the term.

On Wednesday, Trump held a rally in Washington, D.C., to stop what he called a stolen election. At the protest, he repeated his unproven claims of voter fraud and election tampering. Thousands attended that event outside the Capitol, but a few hundred broke off.

They blew past a police barricade and breached the floors of Congress. Four people died during the struggle, and 69 were arrested, reports said.

The threat forced lawmakers to push their official count of the Electoral College votes well into the night. Congress eventually reconvened and affirmed Biden's victory.

"The mob may have shattered glass, but they did not and they will not shatter our democracy," Hogan said.

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RELATED:

• Hogan Says Trump Isn't Fit For Office, Suggests Pence Is Better
• MD Leaders Condemn 'Insurrection' That Overtook U.S. Capitol
• Maryland Police, County Officers Deployed For DC Protest
• Trump Mob Attacks Capitol; 4 Deaths; 69 Arrests; FBI Seeks Tips

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