West Virginia deploys hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington
'West Virginia is proud to stand with President [Donald] Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation's capital,' the governor said in a press release. 'The men and women of our National Guard represent the best of our state, and this mission reflects our shared commitment to a strong and secure America.'
Trump has fixated on crime in Washington in the last week, deploying the National Guard on Monday and invoking for the first time ever a provision of the Home Rule Act — the 1970s law that grants the District limited self-governance — for what the administration described as a takeover of the city's police force, despite violent crime declining in the city.
City leaders and the administration are now locked in a legal battle after Attorney General Pam Bondi tried to appoint an 'emergency' police commissioner, a move the administration partially walked back in an agreement with city officials amid a lawsuit Friday.
The state's involvement will 'include providing mission-essential equipment, specialized training, and approximately 300-400 skilled personnel as directed,' the release said.
In the past week, as a part of the president's 'Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force,' Trump has put approximately 800 National Guard troops throughout the D.C. and taken partial control of the D.C. police force.
The Friday agreement came after Bondi named Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole as 'emergency police commissioner,' cutting D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and city police chief Pamela Smith out of the chain of command.
But on Friday, DOJ officials agreed to rewrite that order at a judge's urging, naming Cole as Bondi's 'designee,' responsible for directing Bowser to provide the police department's services as the attorney general 'deems necessary and appropriate.'
Federal law enforcement officers from a variety of agencies have been spotted at an increased frequency throughout the city in recent days, even as federal agencies maintain a visible presence yearround.
On Friday night, officers with Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals were patrolling U Street, the popular D.C. nightlife area, according to social media posts.
Homeless encampments have also begun being cleared throughout the city, including in Foggy Bottom — which is home to The George Washington University and the State Department — and near the Kennedy Center. Trump has vowed to move homeless people "FAR from the Capital" as part of the takeover.
'This initiative aligns with our values of service and dedication to our communities,' said West Virginia Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, who will oversee the troops.
In a lengthy statement Friday night, Bowser attempted to ease Washington residents' concerns, while remaining diplomatic.
'I know that if we keep sticking together, we will make it to the other side of this," she wrote, "we will make future generations of Washingtonians proud, and we will show the entire nation what it looks like to fight for American democracy — even when we don't have full access to it.'
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US envoy says Putin agreed to protections for Ukraine as part of Trump summit
Special US envoy Steve Witkoff said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed at his summit with President Donald Trump to allow the US and European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling Nato's collective defence mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the war. 'We were able to win the following concession: That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato,' he said on CNN's State Of The Union. Mr Witkoff said it was the first time he had heard Mr Putin agree to that. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at a news conference in Brussels with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, said that 'we welcome President Trump's willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine, and the 'Coalition of the willing' – including the European Union – is ready to do its share'. Mr Witkoff, offering some of the first details of what was discussed at Friday's summit in Alaska, said the two sides agreed to 'robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing'. He added that Russia said that it would make a legislative commitment not to go after any additional territory in Ukraine. Mr Zelensky thanked the United States for recent signals that Washington is willing to support security guarantees for Ukraine, but said the details remained unclear. 'It is important that America agrees to work with Europe to provide security guarantees for Ukraine,' he said. 'But there are no details how it will work, and what America's role will be, Europe's role will be and what the EU can do, and this is our main task, we need security to work in practice like Article 5 of Nato, and we consider EU accession to be part of the security guarantees.' Mr Witkoff defended Mr Trump's decision to abandon his push for Russian to agree to an immediate ceasefire, saying the president had pivoted toward a peace deal because so much progress was made. 'We covered almost all the other issues necessary for a peace deal,' Mr Witkoff said, without elaborating. 'We began to see some moderation in the way they're thinking about getting to a final peace deal,' he said.
9 minutes ago
Sen. Van Hollen says an armed National Guard in DC would be ‘troubling'
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., on Sunday underlined his stance that President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard to Washington, D.C., over concerns of high crime and the levels of homelessness isn't necessary Speaking with ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz, Van Hollen said, "The abuse of power is claiming that this is an emergency. And everybody who is watching what happens knows that this is not an emergency in Washington, D.C.," Van Hollen said. Violent crime levels have decreased dramatically compared to years prior, down 26% since 2024, a 30-year low, leaving outstanding questions over why Trump deployed roughly 800 troops around the city. In response to the possibility that the National Guard could be armed, Van Hollen said, "Well, that's very troubling, because, as you know, the National Guard, first of all, is not supposed to engage in any local law enforcement activity. We have the Posse Comitatus Act that prohibits them from engaging in local law enforcement. And so I'm not sure what it is that they need to do where they need to be armed." The National Guard has been posted around the National Mall, a popular spot for tourists, as well as Union Station. Troops have already arrested hundreds of people in the past week, and to combat homelessness, troops are destroying homeless encampments and forcing those to seek shelter and resources or face being arrested. Van Hollen disagreed with D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith's comments in which she said the enhanced police presence will have a positive impact, saying, "The best way to help the police chief in Washington, D.C., is for President Trump and Republicans in Congress to give them the $1 billion in money that belongs to them, so that they can hire those police rather than bringing in these federal agents."
Newsweek
9 minutes ago
- Newsweek
White House Responds to Trump-Putin Documents Being Found in Hotel Printer
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The White House downplayed reports that sensitive documents from President Donald Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin were found in a hotel printer in Anchorage, Alaska. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly referred to the materials as a "multi-page lunch menu" and said their discovery by hotel guests does not compromise national security. "It's hilarious that NPR is publishing a multi-page lunch menu and calling it a 'security breach,'" Kelly told NewsNation. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Why It Matters The documents, first reported by NPR, included plans for a canceled luncheon, seating charts, a gift presentation and phone numbers for U.S. and Russian officials. Among the items detailed were a menu featuring green salad, filet mignon, halibut, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and crème brûlée. Phonetic guides for Russian names were also included. Trump and Putin met on Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss ending the war in Ukraine that Putin launched in February 2022. The White House said the meeting was requested by Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited. President Donald Trump, left, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrive for a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. President Donald Trump, left, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrive for a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP What To Know The documents were found on a printer by three guests around 9 a.m. on the day of the summit at Hotel Captain Cook, a four-star hotel located 20 minutes from the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. The eight pages carried U.S. State Department insignia and contained information on the summit meetings, locations, and phone numbers for three U.S. government staffers. The first page outlined the sequence of Friday's meetings, including a note that the president would present a gift to Putin, according to photos of the documents taken by one of the guests and seen by NPR. Pages two through five listed the names of senior U.S. and Russian officials present in Alaska that day, with page two also including phone numbers for three U.S. advance staffers, the outlet reported. Pages six and seven included the lunch seating chart and menu. Despite Putin's claims about wanting a peace deal with Ukraine, the Kremlin's military continued attacking Ukrainian forces as recently as Friday, while the Russian leader was preparing to meet with Trump, ostensibly to discuss a ceasefire agreement. Russia and Ukraine are also far apart on their terms for peace. Zelensky has refused to agree to a ceasefire deal that doesn't include security guarantees for his country, while Putin demands Ukraine be shut out from NATO and cede to Russia four territories Moscow claims it has annexed. Following the meeting, Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told The New York Times that Putin used the meeting to signal that he is not isolated and that, in Merezhko's view, the Russian leader gained an advantage in shaping the narrative during joint remarks with Trump. Meanwhile, Trump hand-delivered a letter to Putin written by First Lady Melania Trump, regarding the impact of the war in Ukraine on children according to Reuters. The contents of the letter remain unknown. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin over the alleged abduction of Ukrainian children. Russian authorities said the children were moved from war zones for their safety and described the warrant as unacceptable. According to Kyiv, about 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted since February 2022, which it said met the United Nations' definition of genocide. Following the meeting on Friday, Trump appeared on Fox News and said it was up to Zelensky to secure a ceasefire agreement after the U.S. president failed to strike a deal. "Now it is really up to President Zelensky to get it done," Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity. "I would also say the European nations have to get involved a little bit." What People Are Saying Trump said on August 15: "I've always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin, with Vladimir. "We were interfered with by the Russia hoax that made it a little tougher to deal with, but he understood it." Trump did not explain what he meant by "the Russia hoax." What Happens Next Further peace talks seem likely to take place.
