You might remember that, following the January 6 storming of the Capitol, Rep. Steve Cohen expressed his concerns about security during President Biden’s inauguration. By Cohen’s math, probably only 25 percent of the National Guard members in Washington, D.C., had voted for Biden and so the Guard couldn’t necessarily be entrusted with Biden’s safety. What was the military doing to make sure Guard members were loyal to their oath? Had their political views been vetted?

In February, the Department of Defense directed commanding officers and supervisors at all levels to conduct a one-day “stand-down” for training on extremism, although from anecdotal evidence we’ve seen online, some said the subject was changed when they brought up Antifa or Black Lives Matter: We’re not talking about that, they were told. It was those white supremacist militia members who managed to close down the Capitol with the threat of a second attack (that turned out to be a mirage) that were the subject.

The Washington Post has looked at the percentage of people who breached the Capitol who are veterans and determined that the military’s effort to root out right-wing extremism overlooked veterans.

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So what’s the plan? Require training sessions on right-wing extremism for VA benefits?

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Tags: Capitol riotextremismJanuary 6Matea Goldmilitarystand downveteransWashington Post