National Guard troops began arriving in Washington D.C. early Tuesday following President Donald Trump’s announcement that approximately 800 members would be deployed to the nation’s capital.
The deployment aims to assist in combating what Trump described as “out-of-control violent crime” in Washington D.C.
The big picture: Troops were seen arriving at the DC Armory, the National Guard headquarters in the city, and are expected to be active throughout the day.
- In addition to the National Guard deployment, the Justice Department is taking over the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) as part of Trump’s plan to address the alleged crime emergency.
Driving the news: Trump held a lengthy press conference Monday declaring a crime emergency in the city, despite reports and official statistics showing a steady decline in violent crime since a spike following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023.
- The President emphasized the National Guard would be “allowed to do their job properly” in restoring law and order.
- However, Trump did not provide specific details on how the Guard’s presence or the police takeover would address underlying issues such as homelessness, drug abuse, or causes of violent crimes.
- Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser responded to the announcement, calling it “unsettling and unprecedented” and pushed back against Trump’s characterization of rampant lawlessness by citing crime statistics.
- The U.S. Army stated that while National Guard troops will provide physical presence in support of law enforcement, only between 100 and 200 soldiers at a time will be directly assisting law enforcement activities. Other troops will focus on administrative and logistical support roles during the deployment.
