Hundreds of National Guard troops from six Republican-led states are being sent to Washington, D.C., reinforcing President Donald Trump’s decision to flood the capital with soldiers and federal agents. Trump says the move is necessary to combat violent crime, though city officials dispute his claims.
Governors of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee approved deployments this week, joining earlier commitments from West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio. Together, the states have announced more than 1,100 Guard troops for Washington.
Trump, who earlier ordered 800 Guard members to the city and briefly assumed control of the police department, has portrayed D.C. as “overrun with violence and homelessness.” However, federal and local statistics show violent crime has declined sharply since a 2023 spike, though the murder rate remains above the national average.
The Justice Department has launched an inquiry into whether the city manipulated crime data, following Trump’s repeated accusations that D.C. provided “fake” numbers.
The deployments have stirred legal and political controversy. Mayor Muriel Bowser negotiated to keep Police Chief Pamela Smith in operational control after the city’s attorney general challenged Trump’s takeover. Critics accuse the president of manufacturing a crisis to expand federal power, while Trump has hinted at similar actions in other Democratic-led cities such as Chicago.
Guard soldiers in Washington are tasked with protecting federal property and supporting law enforcement. A White House official said they are armed but not making arrests. Since the operation began 12 days ago, officials report 465 arrests and the removal of several homeless encampments from federal land.
