Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon denied on Tuesday that he held back deployment of the National Guard in Ferguson during Monday night's protests because of pressure from Washington.
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a Republican, suggested on a KTRS radio show Tuesday morning that Nixon, a Democrat, may have been pressured by the White House or by Attorney General Eric Holder.
Appearing Tuesday night on
Fox News Channel's "The Kelly File," Kinder said he did not level any charges but merely asked a question.
"It's otherwise inexplicable," Kinder told Fox News.
Kinder said he supported Nixon's earlier call to have the Guard on the ready when he declared a state of emergency ahead of the grand jury report on the shooting death of unarmed black man Michael Brown, 18, in August.
"Why wouldn't President [Barack] Obama and Eric Holder want the National Guard called in to keep the peace in Ferguson?" host Megyn Kelly asked Kinder.
"I don't know," Kinder replied, but he said it seemed strange that Nixon had reversed himself from his previous decision.
Seven hundred troops were guarding critical buildings Monday, Nixon said, but were not in the business district that was hit by looting and arson. Nixon said 2,200 troops would be ready Tuesday.
Asked about the accusations in a press conference, Nixon said, "That is false and absurd, and politics has nothing to do with what any of the folks up here are doing . . . Politics has not one bit to do with the tasks at hand."
Ferguson Mayor James Knowles said in his own press conference that he was angry at Nixon for not taking his calls Monday night requesting more National Guard troops to help.
But when asked about Kinder's accusations, he said he had no knowledge of any conspiracy.
"You're going to have to ask the governor that. I would hope that an elected official from the state of Missouri wouldn't be that petty," Knowles said.
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