Colorado National Guard deployed to Washington D.C. for Biden's inauguration

WASHINGTON — At least 200 members of the Colorado National Guard are will be in Washington D.C. to provide extra security for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, Governor Polis' office announced.

"The presence of the Colorado National Guard and others will help ensure our nation’s capital and all Americans in attendance including those who call it home and members of our federal government are safe and protected during this peaceful transition of power that has occurred in our country for hundreds of years," Polis said in a statement.

Colorado joins at least 40 other states in sending members of the National Guard to D.C.

Polis' office said the Washington D.C. National Guard requested the assistance from Colorado. You can read Polis' executive order deploying the National Guard members here.

The announcement comes after a violent mob of President Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building on January 6 as lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence were certifying President-elect Biden's electoral college victory.

At least five people died in the attack, including a police officer.

On January 13, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Trump for "incitement of insurrection." He is the only president in history to be impeached twice.

The security at the Capitol on January 6 and the treatment of the rioters has been widely scrutinized. The chief of the U.S. Capitol Police resigned after the attack. Several police officers were suspended and others are under investigation.

Many people also pointed to the difference in how racial justice activists were treated by police in the summer of 2020 compared to the rioters at the Capitol. Reporting for NewsHour, Candice Norwood wrote, "For many, including racial justice activists, the police’s lax preparation is one example in a long history of disproportionate treatment of white and Black demonstrators."