Head of D.C. National Guard to be removed from post in middle of inauguration

The U.S. Army general who heads the D.C. National Guard and is an integral part of overseeing the inauguration said Friday he will be removed from command effective Jan. 20 at 12:01 p.m., just as Donald Trump is sworn in as president.

Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz’s departure will come in the midst of the presidential ceremony — classified as a national special security event — and while thousands of his troops are deployed to help protect the nation’s capital during an inauguration he has spent months helping to plan.

“The timing is extremely unusual,” Schwartz said in an interview Friday morning, confirming a memo announcing his ouster that was obtained by The Washington Post. During the inauguration, Schwartz would command not only the members of the D.C. Guard but also an additional 5,000 unarmed troops sent in from across the country to help. He also would oversee military air support protecting Washington during the inauguration.

The timing of this is very interesting.

National Guard commanders are appointed by the governors of the individual states, with the exception of DC, which is appointed by the POTUS.

Anyone find this disconcerting?
The Washington Post

a reply to: butcherguy

So it isn't just Biden setting all the booby traps.

a reply to: butcherguy
We've just seen this in a different thread. The initial reaction was that it might portend conspiratorial danger to Trump. But people have now been pointing out that this decision would have been Trump's prerogative, like dismissing all the ambassadors.
Twitter is already calling it "the beginning of Trump's purge on black people".

originally posted by: butcherguy
Anyone find this disconcerting?

Obama's recent actions lately are disconcerting in general.
He is either acting like a child denied his toy at the store so will destroy everything on his way out.
Or....
He actually has some serious dictatorial things in the works going on.
I hope this is just a typical liberal temper tantrum and not the latter.

Kudos on staying professional about all this Mr President. /sarc

a reply to: DISRAELI

Thank you for that info.
I am surprised that the Washington Post didn't blame it on Trump being a racist in the article!

a reply to: butcherguy
P.S. The other one has the dramatic title "Stand-down orders in place for an assassin plot", if you want to read through their opinions.

I think Jan.20th ...it's GAME ON
I sure hope Trump's got it all covered because I think with the EXPLOSIVE combo of :
flag burning snowflakes
bikers for Trump
million bitch march
outta' town Trump lovin' rednecks
inexperienced with protesting >>>Liberal and Democrat mom and pops dragging along their kids
Even the TV camera men are going to have a hard time showing much of the actual inauguration itself.

Obama isn't canning him. Obama could can him now. He's been given notice that he no longer has a job as of the moment that Obama is no longer president.

It's wild that people blame Obama for this.

But think about an analogy. If you were a manager and your company got a new CEO, and you were informed that as of noon the new CEO's first day, you no longer had a job....Would you really think the old CEO was firing you?

a reply to: TheBlackTiger

It is clear from the article that the general tendered his resignation some time ago, but Obama refused to accept it.
Later, the resignation was forwarded to the Trump transition team and they accepted it, effective on Inauguration Day.
I question the decision (by Trump) to change leadership on that day.

a reply to: butcherguy

So that would mean that he's being taken out of command by Obama or Trump???

originally posted by: mOjOm
a reply to: butcherguy

So that would mean that he's being taken out of command by Obama or Trump???

It's just like a Cabinet appointment. John Kerry as Secretary of State is also "out of a job" when Trump becomes president. Does that mean Trump "fired" him? Top level positions--and this is one--serve at the pleasure of the president. It is assumed they have no job with a change in power unless the incoming president specifically asks them to stay on. The only one to fit the bill I remember is when Ford kept KIssinger, but it was a 'same party' and abrupt transition that time. Much ado about nothing, of which we can expect a lot more from the MSM and the ctrl-left.

originally posted by: mOjOm
a reply to: butcherguy

So that would mean that he's being taken out of command by Obama or Trump???

See my post directly above yours.
It is clear that Trump accepted his resignation.
I am questioning whether it was a good idea to have accepted the resignation on that date.

Seems a bit unusual, definitely something that is a bit of a head scratcher. I know that in States it's not uncommon for the NG commander to change with the Governor, as that position is almost always someone with deep political ties in the state. I know in my state we'd often see someone who ran and failed at statewide political office as Generals in the state and every officer over the battalion level seemed to be in politics to some extent either past or possible future.

I honestly don't have any idea why the change of command would go so quickly. Most likely nothing at all nefarious, but it is worth noting.

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: mOjOm
a reply to: butcherguy

So that would mean that he's being taken out of command by Obama or Trump???

It's just like a Cabinet appointment. John Kerry as Secretary of State is also "out of a job" when Trump becomes president. Does that mean Trump "fired" him? Top level positions--and this is one--serve at the pleasure of the president. It is assumed they have no job with a change in power unless the incoming president specifically asks them to stay on. The only one to fit the bill I remember is when Ford kept KIssinger, but it was a 'same party' and abrupt transition that time. Much ado about nothing, of which we can expect a lot more from the MSM and the ctrl-left.

Except it is not the left screaming about this one, it is the right, pretty much shoots your argument in the ass.