White House reportedly requests DOD extend deployment of troops in Washington D.C.

The several thousand National Guard troops that were deployed in Washington D.C. to provide security for the Jan. 20 inauguration could remain in place until the fall, according to a new report.

There were roughly 25,000 National Guard troops first deployed in D.C. ahead of the inauguration, a number that has since thinned out.

"As we continue to work to meet the final post-inauguration requirements, the National Guard has been requested to continue supporting federal law enforcement agencies with 7,000 members and will draw down to 5,000 through mid-March," a January National Guard statement said, Fox News reported.

The National Security Council, lead by President Joe Biden, has reportedly asked the Department of Defense to develop a plan for the remaining Guardsmen in D.C. There is a meeting for agencies to discuss the activity of the leftover guardsmen scheduled for Wednesday, February 17th, Fox 5 reports.

Robert Salesses, who started as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security on January 20, wrote in an internal email obtained by Fox 5 that National Guard personnel may be sustained in D.C. through the fall of 2021, and may be assisted by active duty as well as reserve personnel.

"If it’s not possible to sustain at the current level with NG personnel, we need to establish the number of NG personnel (DCNG and out-of-state) we can sustain for an extended period – at least through Fall 2021 – and understand additional options for providing DoD support, to include use of reserve personnel, as well as active component," Salesses wrote.

The D.C. National Guard provided the following statement in response to an inquiry from Fox 5, "The National Guard is conducting prudent planning for the eventual end of the security mission and the return of its Soldiers and Airmen to their home stations."