Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has rejected the Biden Administration's request to send the state National Guard to the State of the Union address in Washington D.C.
DeSantis tweeted the announcement Monday morning.
The Florida National Guard will not be a part of the hundreds of members who were activated as part of a request from the D.C. Emergency Management Agency to provide traffic control and enhanced security in anticipation of the protests surrounding President Joe Biden's speech.
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Guard members will not carry firearms or take part in law enforcement or domestic-surveillance activities, the Pentagon said.
While there are no specific or credible threats related to Biden’s speech, law enforcement officials are taking no chances following the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when a violent mob caught D.C. by surprise and successfully stormed the U.S. Capitol, briefly disrupting the certification of Biden’s 2020 presidential victory.
Since then, the U.S. Capitol Police, has beefed up security for planned protests in the area. And this time, officials are also preparing for trucker convoys that are planning protests against pandemic restrictions beginning this week, though officials aren't concerned about serious security issues with the possible protests.
