A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered Florida National Guard members to return home from Washington, D.C.
DeSantis discussed the decision Friday morning on “Fox and Friends,” decrying a “half-cocked mission” that had outlived its purpose.
“These folks are soldiers, not Nancy Pelosi‘s servants,” DeSantis said. “This is a half-cocked mission at this point and the appropriate thing is to bring them home.”
Reports found guardsmen and women were forced to leave the Capitol Thursday night and instead take their rest in a nearby parking garage. The facility had just one bathroom with two stalls for some 5,000 troops, according to POLITICO. In the garage there was no internet reception and just one electrical outlet. And the garage is not heated, making or chilly conditions as temperatures in Washington dipped into the low 40s by nightfall.
Hours later, perhaps due to a spate of criticism, guardsmen and women were allowed back into the Capitol.
Prominent Florida leaders, including Sen. Marco Rubio, hailed DeSantis’ decision even ahead of his appearance on cable news.
“We are very proud of and grateful to the Florida National Guard. Now, I hope more of them can go home to their families, their jobs and their own beds,” Rubio tweeted Friday morning.
The National Guard forces went to Washington to respond to security concerns surrounding the inauguration of President Joe Biden, after pro-Donald Trump protesters stormed the Capitol Jan. 6, raided offices, and battled law enforcement in a failed effort to stop the election certification.
The troops, hailed as heroes early in the week, found the situation reversed quickly, causing lawmakers to object.
Florida Republicans Rubio, Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Mike Waltz, objected overnight to the treatment of the troops in the hours before DeSantis’ decision.
“I don’t know who ordered them to go sleep in a garage and can’t understand why they would do that. It needs to be reversed,” Rubio lamented Thursday night in a tweet.
“This is unacceptable. These men and women are serving our nation and should be treated with the respect they deserve,” Scott declared, also on Thursday night.
“This treatment is beyond despicable. While these service members are away from their families, we should be working to accommodate them —not force them out in the cold,” Waltz asserted. “Lawmakers and staffers who demanded National Guard be station at the Capitol are now complaining about their presence. You can’t have it both ways. These are soldiers, not props.”
20 comments
Palmer Tom
January 22, 2021 at 8:50 am
They were essentially on bivouac. The deployment was winding down anyway now that the new president has been sworn in without any of DeSantis’ buddies shooting or bombing anyone.
Sam
January 22, 2021 at 8:56 am
Sounds like they basically did their jobs, served as an effective deterrent to right wing extremists, now the mission is over. Why politicize it after the fact? I guess I know the answer that one, given who’s talking.
Virginia Lines
January 22, 2021 at 10:58 am
He is a bad man. These troops weren’t there as “Nancy P
elosi’s personal body guards.” Desantis is moving as far right as he can get, and people should keep eyes on Florida. They are ripe to be stagiing ground for some very bad things to come from extreme, extreme right. Keep eyes on Bannon and on Flynn too. Read about the era when Hitler weas out of power. Read about Wiemar. Read about Bannon and “Gladiator School” in Italy, about Bannon and Brazil. Read Michael Flynns words when petitioning to create martial law.
As for guards:
Headlines today are screaming, screaming about the Nat’l Guard troops relocation.
They scream words like “outrage” “betrayed.” to stoke grievance.
I reality, it was a mistake made by capitol police and it shouldn’t have been made, but it was quickly corrected. They guard spent some hours in the parking garage. Yes, mistake, but, Uh, aren’t these people soldiers? Are they fragile? Can they and we get over it?
Ocean Joe
January 22, 2021 at 1:21 pm
DeSantis was thrilled to send national guard troops to DC when Trump gassed peaceful protestors for his photo op. Now he complains. None of this would have been necessary but for the constant lies to Trump voters which continue, leading a small group of nuts to storm the building. DeSantis himself contributed by urging an attack on the Pennsylvania results. Should we count Georgia a fourth time? It’s over. You lost, just as you’ve lost the popular vote in 7 of the last presidential elections. Over 32 years, you are 1-8.
Layle J Rogers
January 22, 2021 at 2:09 pm
Someone needs to tell DeSantis that they are not his servants either. They are patriots who are brave enough to join the National Guard to help protect this country. Calling their mission “Half cocked” is disrespectful and inappropriate and I am sure if he was at the inauguration he would have appreciated their presence.
Bonnie powell
January 22, 2021 at 2:42 pm
Have cocked is what our communist rulers are all about Sick sick sick
CNMurse
January 22, 2021 at 3:22 pm
Whom are these commenters “attacking”? DeSanti or the troops? If the troops received an adequate treatment, then I see your point. But they didn’t. You are letting your political agenda – once again- blindside what the real concerns are.
CCMurse
January 22, 2021 at 3:27 pm
Whom are these commenters “attacking”? DeSanti or the troops? If the troops received an adequate treatment, then I see your point. But they didn’t. You are letting your political agenda – once again- blindside what the real concerns are.
Connie Chastain
January 22, 2021 at 4:27 pm
“…pro-Donald Trump protesters stormed the Capitol Jan. 6…”
Stop perpetuating this lie.
bruce fisher
January 22, 2021 at 8:47 pm
Gov Ron nailed it , Nothing was going to happen on communist Joes big day . Everybody new this dem , republican or independent . The capital police if they did their job right could handle all of it . The national guards first commitment is to the state they represent .There was no good reason to have them in DC
Sonja Fitch
January 22, 2021 at 8:48 pm
Half cocked is so much better than no cocked or full cocked! Duffus Desantis is willingly slaughtering Floridians! Duffus Desantis is handling trumpvirus with no cocked pazaz! Stfu
bruce fisher
January 22, 2021 at 8:55 pm
Its the China virus ,
Sonja Fitch
January 23, 2021 at 5:47 am
No Bruce it is trumpvirus! China has THEIR virus under control ! Duffus Desantis and impeached loser Trump did not do a damn thing except push herd immunity as the solution! Giving white supremacy Publix the vaccines is just another action by Duffus Desantis to ignore brown black and poor whites!
Working Lady
January 23, 2021 at 10:53 am
Sonja & her leftie troll buds are in rare form today, so excited they can’t even spell or write a grammatically correct sentence! Don’t worry SF & friends you will get your guaranteed income so you can keep snorting your crack & smoking your weed & living your best life spewing garbage on this site! LOL
Sonja Fitch
January 23, 2021 at 2:29 pm
Working lady. Street working or just working! Are you sniffing the Duffus Desantis and impeached Trump cracks? Gross ! The facts and the truths are readily available for you. Oh it is easier to keep your head in the cracks of the lies and hate of the goptrump death cult sociopaths than to deal with truth and common good! May god have mercy on your pitiful soul!
voncile1963
January 23, 2021 at 3:01 pm
”’after pro-Donald Trump protesters stormed the Capitol Jan. 6, ”’
This has not been proven to be true.
Please stop repeating lying leftist talking points.
voncile1963
January 23, 2021 at 3:07 pm
Sam
January 22, 2021 at 8:56 am
“”Why politicize it after the fact?””
Really?
So I guess you feel the same way about the 2nd sham impeachment debacle of President Trump? Hummm..?
Palmer Tom
January 23, 2021 at 8:40 pm
There was a much fuller account of the situation elsewhere. It was caused by a poor decision by National Guard officials unbeknown to Congress. It has been fixed.
Ashley Hayward
January 24, 2021 at 11:34 am
Sonja is more than just a little confused… Our president Trump did NOT incite violence…that would be the democrats Maxine walters. Nancy pelosi, the other idiot who called for unrest in the streets and kamalla harris who told the protestors they should NOT let up whist they were burning and looting our streets. I hope lady next time they do this it is your town your house. You sound quite evil!
Dani Fletcher
January 26, 2021 at 3:56 pm
They should have never been sent to begin with. Let D.C. worry about themselves keep our guys here to protect Floridians. D.C. no longer represents me or my family and friends so thankful we have a governor who puts us first.
Comments are closed.