Two National Guardsmen removed from Biden inauguration for alleged ties to far-right

Two members of the National Guard were removed from duty in Washington, DC for alleged ties to far-right groups, Associated Press reports.

The National Guard did not reveal which far-right groups the National Guardsmen are allegedly members of, nor were the two members identified.

There are more than 25,000 National Guard troops in Washington, DC for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday. The troops have come from all 50 states, as well as from the territory of Puerto Rico. The FBI said that they planned to vet the troops.

"Due to operational security, we do not discuss the process nor the outcome of the vetting process for military members supporting the inauguration," the National Guard Bureau stated when asked about the dismissal, further stating that questions should be instead directed towards the Secret Service.

The Biden transition team has expressed concern over the political ideologies of National Guardsmen assigned to defend his inauguration ever since Capitol Hill was stormed by pro-Trump protesters on Jan 6. The concerns stem from unsubstantiated worries that far-right members of the National Guard may try to assassinate Biden.

No evidence has surfaced pointing to an assassination plot against Biden by members of the National Guard, including by the two guardsmen who were dismissed. Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said that there is "no intelligence indicating an insider threat" to Biden's inauguration.

The more than 25,000 National Guard troops are expected to be present in Washington DC for Biden's inauguration, the largest gathering of soldiers in the nation's capital in history. It will also dwarf the number of troops present in Iraq and Afghanistan combined fourfold.