'No actionable intelligence' behind heightened security at Capitol: Meadows
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows argues House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is using the National Guard in Washington, D.C. as a 'messaging billboard for the Democrat Party.'
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows pushed back on heightened security at the Capitol building on Wednesday, arguing that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is using the National Guard for a "political statement" instead of safety.
"There's no actionable intelligence that would suggest that we should have National Guard troops still here in Washington, D.C.," Meadows told FOX Business' "Mornings with Maria."
"[Pelosi's] trying to continue to put up not only the fencing but the National Guard and the razor wire here in Washington, D.C., to try to remind Americans that she is now in control. But I can tell you that the vast majority of Americans are telling Speaker Pelosi, 'Tear down that wall.'"
Meadows joined calls from Republican lawmakers demanding answers from the House speaker on what she knew and when regarding Capitol security on the day of the January 6 riot.
"When the truth comes out, we'll see that indeed there are other decisions that could have been made by Speaker Pelosi and others that weren't made," Meadows said.
"Then-President Trump offered up as many as 10,000 National Guard prior to January 6th. And yet in typical fashion, they said, 'Oh, no, we can handle it. We don't want the look.' Now, when it serves a political purpose, they want the lookout there."
A Pentagon spokesperson told Fox News' Neil Cavuto Tuesday that the National Guard will remove the last of its troops by mid-March as an internal email obtained by FOX 5 DC suggested troops could stay in Washington until Fall 2021.
House Republicans say they have received "zero information" from Pelosi about why troops remain at the Capitol.
"It's amazing to me that [Pelosi] can do this without any disclosure, without any information and just continue to spend money with no briefing," Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., told "Fox & Friends" Monday.
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Meadows believes the security decision should be a "measured approach" made jointly by the FBI, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and Capitol Police, with a goal of safety without using the National Guard as a "messaging billboard for the Democrat Party."
"It is time that we actually make sure that our cities and our states are indeed safe and indeed the capital is safe, but it's not time for a political statement," Meadows said.
Fox News' Caitlin McFall and Roman Chiarello contributed to this report.
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