Biden Administration’s Controversial Start, National Guard Troops Left in Parking Garage and Canadian Relations Damaged

Joe Biden has been in office only a couple of days, and already things aren’t going as smoothly as someone might expect for the new president. National Guard troops ordered to Washington D.C. for additional security were photographed sleeping and resting in a parking garage and Canada has already expressed its frustration that the Keystone Pipeline project has stalled.

If some were hoping that a change in administration would result in more national stability, it appears like that is already in doubt.

In what is already becoming a bit of a scandal, National Guard troops brought to Washington D.C. to offer additional support to the Capitol and D.C. Police were photographed sleeping in a parking garage, with “scant toilet facilities” per The New York Times. The troops were ordered to leave their posts at the Capitol Building on Thursday after the inauguration ceremony had concluded. The troops have now been welcomed back to the Capitol.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted, “Earlier this evening my staff reached out to @TexasGuard leaders to make sure #TX Guardsmen are okay and that they’re being taken care of while serving in our Nation’s capital. This should NEVER have been an issue, but glad to hear they have been welcomed back inside the Capitol.”

Some governors have expressed frustration, and Texas has officially ordered the state’s National Guard troops to return.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted, “I have instructed General Norris to order the return of the Texas National Guard to our state. @Texas Guard.”

“They’re soldiers, they’re not Nancy Pelosi’s servants,” Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, said on “Fox and Friends” on Friday morning. “This is a half-cocked mission at this point, and I think the appropriate thing is to bring them home.”

In response to the growing controversy, President Biden offered his apologies and assistance to General Daniel R. Hokanson, the head of the National Guard Bureau. First Lady Jill Biden also went to hand out chocolate chip cookies to the troops stationed outside the Capitol.

The relationship between the United States and Canada has also soured, after President Biden issued an Executive Order cancelling the Keystone Pipeline, which would move oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast.

TC Energy has already laid off 1,000 pipeline workers. It’s likely that those workers include Canadians and Americans.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attempted to argue his case to Biden, but the new president went ahead with his decision.

“While we welcome the President’s commitment to fight climate change, we are disappointed but acknowledge the President’s decision to fulfill his election campaign promise on Keystone XL,” Trudeau said. “Canada is the single-largest supplier of energy to the United States, contributing to U.S. energy security and economic competitiveness, and supporting thousands of jobs on both sides of the border.”

The decision to close the pipeline construction may win over pro-environmental activists, but it puts the future of the country’s energy security in question with its biggest supplier. The decision will also likely have continued repercussions on the United States relationship with Canada, one of its closest neighbors and greatest allies.

For just a couple of days in office, Biden has rocked the boat with many.

Photo from MIKE SEGAR/REUTERS