National Guard didn't arrive at Capitol until 3 hours after Capitol Police chief's urgent request

National Guard arrives at the Captiol
(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The fact that an armed mob of people angry over President Trump's loss was able to maraud through the U.S. Capitol while the entire Congress and Vice President Mike Pence were inside is "such an embarrassingly bad failure" of law enforcement, former U.S. counterterrorism official R.P. Eddy tells The New York Times. "But it could have been so much worse." Five people died, but every lawmaker made it out unharmed, including the top three people in the presidential line of succession.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.