National Guard heads to Capitol after rioters overrun it

The National Guard and state forces responded at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday after pro-Trump rioters overran the building during the Electoral College vote count.

The Washington D.C. National Guard force of about 1,100 was mobilized to help federal law enforcement tamp down the insurrection, according to chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman. The Department of Justice will lead the federal law enforcement response, Hoffman said.

Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller said he coordinated with Vice President Mike Pence and congressional leaders to activate the National Guard and assist officers with taking back the Capitol. He did not mention any contact with President Donald Trump.

Trump had to be convinced to deploy the National Guard, a person familiar with the matter confirms to NBC News. Pence, who was moved to a secure location within the Capitol, was in contact with the Pentagon and “encouraged a much more rapid deployment,” the person added.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

“We are prepared to provide additional support as necessary and appropriate as requested by local authorities,” Miller said in an emailed statement Wednesday. “Our people are sworn to defend the constitution and our democratic form of government and they will act accordingly,” Miller added.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam also said he would send his state’s National Guard along with 200 state troopers to the Capitol. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan added that he told the Maryland National Guard to send a force to the federal legislature.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday evening he would deploy 1,000 members of the New York National Guard to Washington, D.C. for up to two weeks in order to “facilitate the peaceful transition of presidential power.”

“For 244 years, the cornerstone of our democracy has been the peaceful transfer of power, and New York stands ready to help ensure the will of the American people is carried out, safely and decisively,” Cuomo wrote in a statement, adding that the deployment would not hamper ongoing efforts to combat Covid-19.

Both Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office asked for the National Guard to respond, two sources told NBC.

The FBI also mobilized its officers to support Capitol Police, a spokesman said.

Earlier in the week, Miller approved a request from Bowser to deploy 340 National Guard forces to the city to support local authorities during pro-Trump demonstrations scheduled across the nation’s capital, according to Hoffman. The mission Miller approved directed unarmed National…