Top Military Official Lied About Jan. 6: Whistleblowers

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy was among senior officials who did not tell the truth about what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, National Guard officials say.

Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy testifies to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill on Dec. 3, 2019. Joshua Roberts/Reuters

The secretary of the Army on Jan. 6, 2021, lied about multiple details regarding what unfolded as the U.S. Capitol was breached, National Guard whistleblowers said during a congressional hearing on April 17.

Then-Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy made multiple false claims, including that he spoke to the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard on two separate occasions after officials requested that the Guard be deployed to the Capitol, the whistleblowers said.