About 2,300 National Guard troops will stay in Washington at the U.S. Capitol for another two months, the Department of Defense announced late Tuesday. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a request by the U.S. Capitol Police for continued National Guard support through May 23, according to a Pentagon statement. There will be nearly 2,300 guardsmen at the Capitol to continue the support mission, the Pentagon said. This is about half of about 5,100 to 5,200 currently patrolling the site. They were scheduled to leave this weekend prior to the extension. “During this extended period, DOD officials will work with the U.S. Capitol Police to incrementally reduce the National Guard footprint as conditions allow. We thank the National Guard for its support throughout this mission, as well as for its significant efforts across the nation in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic,” the department announced. At a press conference on Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary John …