All 800 National Guard troops mobilized for DC mission: Pentagon
Trump ordered the deployment – following a similar move during protests in Los Angeles in June – as part of what he called a crackdown on crime in Washington, where police data shows violent offenses are down.
'As of today, all 800 Army and Air National Guardsmen are mobilized... as part of Joint Task Force DC, and they are now here in our capital,' Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters.
The troops will assist the DC Metropolitan Police Department and federal partners with monument security, community patrols, protecting federal facilities, and traffic control posts, Wilson said. They will remain until 'law and order has been restored,' as determined by the president.
The US Army said the Guard's initial mission is to provide a visible presence in key public areas as a deterrent to crime. They will not arrest, search, or direct law enforcement but have the authority to temporarily detain individuals to prevent imminent harm. Weapons will remain in the armory unless needed, the Army said.
Trump announced the deployment and a federal takeover of the city's police department on Monday, vowing 'to take our capital back.' Late Thursday, US Attorney General Pam Bondi signed an order granting the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration the executive powers of Washington police chief.
The move follows Republican criticism that the Democratic-led capital is plagued by crime, homelessness, and mismanagement. Police data, however, shows violent crime has fallen significantly from 2023 to 2024, after a post-pandemic surge.
The Washington deployment comes after Trump sent the National Guard and Marines to quell unrest in Los Angeles earlier this year – the first time since 1965 a US president deployed Guard forces against a state governor's wishes. Unlike in the states, National Guard forces in Washington already report directly to the president.
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