Memo to Chaos: The Unusual Orders Before the Capitol Siege
Hey there! Let’s dive into a bit of recent history that feels more like an episode of a political thriller than real life. So, on January 3, 2021, something pretty unprecedented happened. All ten living former U.S. defense secretaries came together to pen an open letter that was published in The Washington Post. This wasn’t your average “congrats on your retirement” kind of letter. Nope, this was a serious “we’re worried about our democracy” alarm bell.
The letter was signed by a bipartisan who’s who of former Pentagon chiefs, including big names like Dick Cheney, James Mattis, and Mark Esper. They were all pretty concerned about the potential for a military coup to overturn the election results. And they didn’t beat around the bush — they called out acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller by name, which is kind of a big deal.
Now, here’s where it gets even more interesting. On the same day, President Trump reportedly told Miller to “do whatever was necessary to protect the demonstrators” who were planning to rally on January 6. The very next day, Miller put pen to paper on a memo that seriously clipped the wings of the D.C. National Guard. This memo wasn’t just a small administrative change; it required him to personally green-light any deployment of the Guard.
Major General William J. Walker, the guy in charge of the D.C. National Guard, was used to having the authority to respond to civil disturbances without having to ask for permission. But on January 5, he got new orders from Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy that changed the game. Now, he needed explicit approval from McCarthy and Miller before he could make a move.
This shift was so out of the ordinary that after the Capitol attack, Walker himself called it “unusual.” He pointed out that this change meant he had to get authorization from higher-ups just to protect his own troops. It was a move that raised eyebrows and had people asking questions about the intent and timing of such orders.
