National Guard sends 800 troops to DC, Pentagon confirms
Washington Mayor Resisters Federal Takeover Amid Guard Deployment
Eight hundred National Guard soldiers have been mobilized by President Donald Trump to support Washington’s police force, the Pentagon confirmed this Thursday. Trump’s move follows a similar deployment in Los Angeles during June’s anti‑immigration protests.
Guard Troops and Their Mission
- All 800 Army and Air National Guardsmen are now part of Joint Task Force DC.
- They will aid the DC Metropolitan Police Department and federal partners by providing monument security, community patrols, and protection of federal facilities.
- They will also conduct traffic control posts and remain stationed until the president deems “law and order restored.”
US Army officials emphasized that the Guard’s initial objective is to establish a noticeable presence in key public areas as a visible deterrent to crime, but they will not engage in arrests, searches, or direct law enforcement actions. They possess the authority to temporarily detain individuals who pose an imminent threat. Weapons will remain in the armory, but protective gear will be issued. The Guard may use weapons only if required.
Federal Takeover of the City’s Police Department
Alongside the Guard deployment, the president announced a federal takeover of Washington’s police department, vowing “to take our capital back.” After the order was signed, Attorney General Pam Bondi granted the head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration the executive powers of Washington’s police chief, thus formalizing the takeover.
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Response
Mayor Muriel Bowser reacted to Bondi’s order on X, condemning the takeover and stating that no statute transfers the district’s personnel authority to a federal official. She posted images of a letter from the district’s elected attorney general Brian Schwalb to police chief Pamela Smith, pointing out that the Bondi Order is unlawful and that the federal office is not legally required to obey it.
Crime Data and Political Allegations
The Democratic‑led capital faces allegations from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, homelessness, and financial mismanagement. However, Washington police data shows significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, after a post‑pandemic surge. The deployment follows the President’s earlier dispatch of National Guard and Marines to quell unrest in Los Angeles, a move that spurred criticism and marked the first time since 1965 that a U.S. president deployed the National Guard against a state governor’s wishes.
Most National Guard forces answer to state governors and must be “federalized” to be brought under presidential control, but in Washington these troops already report only to the U.S. president.
