Sen. Tammy Duckworth demanded on Monday that the Pentagon probe allegations that armed service members and military retirees took part in last Wednesday’s riot at the U.S. Capitol, Politico reported.
The Illinois Democrat, who is an Iraqi War veteran, wrote in a letter to acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller that the Pentagon must work together with federal agencies and the Capitol Police to investigate active-duty or retired service members who participated in what she termed a "coup attempt."
Her letter came in response to reports that both active and retired service members took part in the riot, which she said, "If accurate, would be a disgraceful insult to the vast majority of servicemembers who honorably serve our nation in accordance with the core values of their respective services."
Duckworth wrote that Miller should take "appropriate action to hold individuals accountable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice" if any such individuals are identified, emphasizing that "upholding good order and discipline demands that the U.S. Armed Forces root out extremists that infiltrate the military and threaten our national security."
Congressmen have demanded that Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy brief the House Armed Services Committee by Friday on the Guard's role in confronting the riot and plans for deploying the Guard for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
According to a Military Times survey from 2019, more that 36% of active-duty troops said they had personally witnessed examples of white nationalism or ideologically inspired racism within the ranks.
This marks a 14 percentage point rise from the year before.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.