Two senior Trump administration officials defended their actions during the January 6 riot at the US Capitol in testimony before Congress yesterday, with former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller standing behind every decision he made that day.

Mr Miller told the House Oversight Committee that he was concerned before the insurrection that sending troops to the building could fan fears of a military coup and cause a repeat of the deadly Kent State shootings.

His testimony is aimed at rebutting broad criticism that military forces were too slow to arrive even as pro-Trump rioters violently breached the building and stormed inside.

The panel’s chairwoman, Democrat Carolyn Maloney, made it clear that she planned to dive into the long gap between when military support was first requested and when it was received.

“The federal government was unprepared for this insurrection, even though it was planned in plain sight on social media for the world to see,” Ms Maloney said. “And despite all the military and law enforcement resources our government can call upon in a crisis, security collapsed in the face of the mob, and reinforcements were delayed for hours as the Capitol was overrun.”

Republicans sought to change the focus to the civil unrest that arose from racial justice protests in the days following George Floyd’s death.

“What is wrong is when individuals take to crime, violence, and mob tactics,” said Republican James Comer.

Miller was joined by Republican Jeffrey Rosen, who told lawmakers that the Justice Department “took appropriate precautions” ahead of the riot by putting tactical and other elite units on standby.