This is an Epoch Times News Brief presidential election update. From the News Brief desk, I’m Bill Thomas and here’s what’s happening right now.
National Guard units have been activated or put on alert in more than a dozen states nationwide, police in Washington arrest a man in possession of incendiary materials, and former President Donald Trump declines to comment on how he voted regarding a very controversial issue.
We’ll get to each of these timely stories coming up, but we begin with this. Officials from both the Pentagon and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) say that guard units have either already been activated or are standing by to provide assistance as needed to both state and local authorities throughout Election Day and beyond.
Officials say that these guard units will focus primarily on logistical support as well as cybersecurity, that this year’s mission is in line with past Election Day operations, and that none of the units are currently deployed in a “civil disturbance” capacity.
However, the authorities also say that a number of adjustments have been made this year to address specific concerns regarding election integrity.
So far, 11 states have activated National Guard units for election support, and 10 additional states are prepared to activate their guard personnel in the coming days if necessary.
Additionally, the Department of Defense says that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has authorized the D.C. National Guard to support emergency responders in Washington throughout the next week, and hundreds of additional guardsmen are on standby.
We continue now in Washington and earlier today, police arrested a man at the U.S. Capitol, and here’s what we’ve learned.
The U.S. Capitol Police say they took a man into custody at the Capitol Visitor Center, and that he was allegedly carrying materials that could start a fire.
The police said that the man “smelled like fuel,” and that he was carrying both a torch and a flare gun. The Capitol Police say that the Capitol Visitor Center is currently closed for tours, and that a thorough investigation is underway.
So you know, the Capitol Visitor Center provides entry for the public to the Capitol Building complex, and the area is under additional security measures throughout Election Day.
We’ll move along now and former President Donald Trump is keeping quiet about how he voted regarding one particular hot-button issue, and here’s more on that story.
Earlier today, Trump avoided telling reporters how he voted regarding a controversial abortion amendment that’s on this year’s Florida ballot.
Trump said that “we did a great job” bringing abortion rights “back to the states,” but he declined to share how he voted on the issue when pressed by reporters.
So you know, Florida’s amendment would allow abortion access through fetal viability, which is just about halfway through a usual pregnancy. A 60 percent majority is required for the measure to be adopted.
A “yes” result will add abortion rights to the state constitution, while a “no” result will keep Florida’s current law, which states that abortion is illegal once a pregnancy passes the six-week mark, with a number of exceptions, including for rape, incest, and the health of the mother.
Heading into Election Day, Trump’s position on the amendment has been unclear. However, earlier this year Trump told Fox News that he would vote against the amendment.
This has been an Epoch Times News Brief presidential election update. I’m Bill Thomas and please stay with us for the remainder of the day and into the evening for continuous election coverage.
