Nearly 8,000 National Guard troops requested to support presidential inauguration

WASHINGTON — Nearly 8,000 National Guard troops have been requested by the U.S. Secret Service to provide support for the presidential inauguration Jan. 20, the Pentagon said.

The request for 7,800 troops, said Sabrina Singh, deputy spokeswoman for the Defense Department, is expected to be approved by the Pentagon in the coming days.

The Secret Service is the lead agency for the inauguration. Once approved, the troops will join 500 National Guards troops already approved to support security operations during the counting and certification of electoral votes on Monday.