Hundreds of armed, sometimes hungry National Guardsmen forced to sleep on floor of US Capitol. With no food in sight, an NPR reporter helped a few Guardsmen find food-1/13/21…(The sadness, now a year long, will continue until you cry for mercy)

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“The Capitol is blanketed today with new layers of security, including hundreds of members of the National Guard. Some sleeping from overnight stays, others up and about. I walked three in search of food to the Senate subway to get to the right spot to get fed. I hope. pic.twitter.com/sVMwMdbcmn— Claudia Grisales [NPR Reporter]  (@cgrisales) January 13, 2021″

1/13/21, Hundreds of armed National Guard forced to sleep on floors and hallways of US Capitol for first time since Civil War, AZ News and Stats video

Above two screenshots, 1/13/21, AZ News and Stats

Above two images, 1/13/21, via UK Sun, “ON ALERT: National Guard ‘preparing for IED threat at Biden inauguration’ as they’re seen sleeping with rifles on Capitol floor," UK Sun

[See, you never know when an evil Tea Party member might stray onto the property and need to be shot to death].

Above 3 images AP, 1/13/21, “Photos show National Guard troops sleeping on Capitol floors ahead of impeachment vote,” AP via KTLA

“A replica of the dome that stands atop the Capitol, the Statue of Freedom, resides in the Capitol’s visitor center. Beneath it, soldiers slept on marble floors while others huddled to discuss their marching orders for the day.

They massed together from one end of the giant hall to the other and their numbers made it impossible to follow the signs calling for social distancing. To protect from COVID, they wore masks, and to protect from potential violence, they stockpiled riot shields and gas masks.

“The Capitol is blanketed today with new layers of security, including hundreds of members of the National Guard. Some sleeping from overnight stays, others up and about. I walked three in search of food to the Senate subway to get to the right spot to get fed. I hope. pic.twitter.com/sVMwMdbcmn— Claudia Grisales [NPR Reporter]  (@cgrisales) January 13, 2021″

Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, a military veteran who lost both legs in the war in Afghanistan, was shocked at the sight and that so many soldiers were deemed necessary to keep the Capitol safe.

“It’s as sad as anything can make me in this world,” Mast said as he gave some of them a tour.

The Capitol always sees stepped-up security precautions leading up to an inauguration, but it rarely looks like the nation is on a war footing.”…

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