Washington, D.C

Released Oath Keepers founder awaiting Jan. 6 defendants' DC jail release

Published

1 year ago

January 21, 2025

Released Oath Keepers founder awaiting Jan. 6 defendants' DC jail release

Newly released from prison, the founder of the antigovernment group the Oath Keepers stood outside the D.C. jail early Tuesday. He was awaiting the release of Jan. 6 defendants after President Donald Trump issued sweeping pardons, including of people convicted of brutal assaults on officers at the U.S. Capitol.

Stewart Rhodes told News4 he was released from Federal Correctional Institution, Cumberland in Maryland late Monday, after Trump pardoned about 1,500 criminal defendants. The president did not distinguish between violent and non-violent defendants, as some expected he would.

Rhodes had been sentenced to 18 years in prison for orchestrating the violent plot to keep Trump in the White House after he lost the 2020 presidential election. On Tuesday morning, he said he was anticipating the release of about 20 J6 inmates from the jail in Southeast.

“We’re here to welcome them,” he said, wearing a black Trump 2020 hat.

“I think it’s a good day for America that all the wrongs are being undone. None of them should have been here in the first place,” Rhodes said.

Robert Morss, who had been sentenced to more than five years in prison for charges including assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon, also was outside the jail early Tuesday.

J6 supporters waited overnight in freezing temperatures for inmates to be released. Many Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers patrolled the entrance. Supporters marched to the doors late Monday and were told by police to move back.

Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers. He used his clemency powers on his first day back in office to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy.

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On Jan. 6, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as lawmakers worked to affirm President Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election. More than 140 officers were assaulted, including more than 80 U.S. Capitol police officers and more than 60 MPD officers, according to the outgoing U.S. attorney’s office for D.C.

Attackers who beat police were armed with a long list of weapons, including: guns, stun guns, flagpoles, fire extinguishers, bike racks, batons, a metal whip, office furniture, pepper spray, bear spray, a tomahawk ax, a hatchet, a hockey stick, knuckle gloves, a baseball bat, a massive Trump billboard, Trump flags, a pitchfork, pieces of lumber, crutches and an explosive device.

News4’s Jessica Albert reports live from the D.C. jail, where 23 of 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants are being held and will soon be released.

Just weeks ago, the federal judge who presided over Rhodes’ seditious conspiracy case called the possibility of his release “frightening.”

“The notion that Stewart Rhodes could be absolved of his actions is frightening and ought to be frightening to anyone who cares about democracy in this country,” U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said.

NBC News and the Associated Press contributed prior reporting.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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Washington, D.C

About 120 Iowa National Guard soldiers leave today for D.C. deployment – Radio Iowa

Published

10 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

Dozens of Iowa National Guard soldiers leaving Iowa today will spend the next six months serving in Washington, D.C..

Last August, President Trump issued an executive order declaring there was an epidemic of crime in the nation’s capitol and he immediately mobilized National Guard troops from the District of Columbia. The Pentagon then started asking state guard units to deploy to D.C. and made a request of Governor Kim Reynolds last year. “They asked earlier and I said no because we had one of the largest deployments that we’ve had for a long, long time and I just felt we were stretched pretty thin,” Reynolds said.

In May of last year, nearly 2000 Iowa National Guard soldiers were deployed to the Middle East. The final group of those soldiers returned to Iowa last month. Reynolds said the Pentagon “circled back” recently and asked her to send a group of Iowa Guard soldiers to D.C. and she’s deployed 120 Iowa Guard soldiers to D.C. “to ensure the safety and security” of people who are in the nation’s capitol, “especially with everything that’s going on with the 250th birthday of our country,” Reynolds said, “and so we were able to participate and do our share.”

Reynolds told reporters the federal government will pay the entire cost of the deployment. Reynolds will speak this morning at a private send off ceremony for the Iowa Guard soldiers before they leave for D.C. There were over 5000 National Guard troops in Washington this past Sunday, including 185 from Nebraska and over 100 from Minnesota.

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Washington, D.C

Why Gov. Kim Reynolds turned down previous request to send National Guard to D.C.

Published

20 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Why Gov. Kim Reynolds turned down previous request to send National Guard to D.C.

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — One hundred and twenty members of the Iowa National Guard are leaving Friday for Washington, D.C., where they will assist with security measures and America 250 celebrations at the request of the Trump administration.

Reynolds initially said no

Gov. Kim Reynolds said she had previously declined the Trump administration’s request, citing the strain of one of the state’s largest recent deployments.

“They asked earlier, and I said no because we had one of the largest deployments that we’ve had for a long, long time and I just felt that we were stretched pretty thin,” Reynolds said.

Nearly 2,000 Iowa National Guard members had spent a year or more deployed to the Middle East. Those soldiers have since returned home.

Guard members now available following Middle East return

With those troops back, Reynolds said Iowa was in a position to fulfill the president’s request.

“We have them all back. They circled back, especially with everything that’s going on with the 250th uh birthday uh of our country. And so we were able to participate and do our share,” Reynolds said.

Different states have sent National Guard members to Washington, D.C., since last August.

Reynolds said the federal government will pay the costs of Iowa’s deployment to Washington, D.C.

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Washington, D.C

Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns

Published

1 day ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns

WASHINGTON – Metro riders are seeing changes Thursday morning as WMATA adjusts its shuttle bus system following concerns about long lines and confusion tied to the Red Line summer shutdown.

Express shuttles to North Bethesda will now only pick up on Wisconsin Avenue near the Trader Joe’s. Local shuttles serving Bethesda, Medical Center and Grosvenor have been moved to the Friendship Heights Metro station, while some regular Metrobus routes are picking up on Western Avenue.

Red Line Shuttle Service Updates

• Local shuttle boarding will be relocated to Bus Bay K – the current C83/D96 bus stop on Wisconsin Ave.
• C83 and D96 buses will be relocated to the bus shelter on Western Ave near Wisconsin Ave.
• Express shuttle boarding will remain in the 5300 block of Wisconsin Ave NW.

What we know:

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick says Red Line riders say the shutdown has added time to their commute, though many are trying to stay positive. The shuttles connect North Bethesda and Friendship Heights through September 6, when Purple Line construction is expected to wrap up.

Metro Red Line summer shutdown leads to long shuttle lines

Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns

The workaround relies on dedicated shuttle bus lanes along northbound and southbound Wisconsin Avenue/355 and up to Rockville Pike. But truck drivers, delivery drivers and passenger vehicles have been stopping or parking in those lanes, forcing shuttles to go around and slowing traffic.

Metro and Montgomery County police have increased enforcement to keep the lanes clear. Metro Transit Police say they asked more than 60 drivers to move out of the bus lanes in the first days of the shutdown.

Metro is also adding about 100 parking spaces at Friendship Heights in the former Lord & Taylor garage. Some Montgomery County riders are opting for the MARC train downtown instead.

Metro’s Red Line shutdown is now in full effect: Here’s what you need to know