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Among those sent were members of the Guard’s 273rd Military Police Company. Their commanders shared images on social media showing armored Humvees parked near the Washington Monument. Trump ordered 800 National Guard members into service, though not all had been deployed yet by August 12.
This decision drew sharp criticism from Democrats across the country. They argued that the move raised civil liberties concerns as crime rates in D.C. were dropping. Mayor Muriel Bowser said while violent crime remained a problem, the deployment was unnecessary.
Bowser stated, “Violent crime in DC is at its lowest level in 30 years. We had an unacceptable spike in 2023, so we changed our laws and strategies. Now, crime levels are not only down from 2023 but from before the pandemic. Our tactics are working, and we aren’t taking our foot off the gas.”
The White House said that up to 200 troops would support law enforcement at any given time, primarily providing administrative and logistical support along with a “physical presence” on the streets.
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth indicated it would take time for all 800 Guard members to be positioned across the city. He assured reporters, “You will see them flowing into the streets of Washington in the coming weeks. They will be strong and tough.”
Advocates for homeless people worried that troops’ presence could make life even harder for the roughly 900 people living on the city’s streets.
On August 12, Bowser held a virtual town hall with residents to answer questions and address concerns. She acknowledged that the Metropolitan Police Department had overseen an unprecedented reduction in violent crime but hoped the Guard’s deployment could be positive despite understaffing by several hundred officers.
Kevin Donahue, Bowser’s city administrator, said D.C. would aim to keep the guardsmen near national monuments where people are accustomed to seeing armed forces and ensure Metro police were present wherever the troops were deployed.
District residents quickly protested against Trump’s deployment with hundreds showing up for protests and city leaders calling out the president on social media.
Charles Allen, a council member overseeing neighbors closest to the Capitol, called the deployment “extreme, outrageous, and dangerous.” He argued that National Guard soldiers are trained for warfare and natural disasters, not community policing.
