Latest news with #UnAmerican
The Hill
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
3 GOP-led states sending National Guard troops to DC: What to know
Multiple Republican-led states are sending their own National Guard troops to the District of Columbia to bolster President Trump's sweeping anti-crime clampdown in the nation's capital. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine all announced over the weekend that they would send hundreds of soldiers from their states in the coming days to nearly double the 800 D.C. National Guard members already mobilized. All three GOP governors noted in their advisories that they were acting on requests from the Trump administration. 'West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation's capital,' Morrisey said in a statement. '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.' The president announced last week a massive crimefighting effort in Washington with a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and infusion of federal agents and National Guard troops. 'Until 4 days ago, Washington, D.C., was the most unsafe 'city' in the United States, and perhaps the World,' Trump wrote in an update on Truth Social early Monday. 'Now, in just a short period of time, it is perhaps the safest, and getting better every single hour!' National Guard troops already in D.C. have been largely stationed on federal properties in the District, including parks and federal buildings. In a news release on Sunday, the D.C. National Guard said its presence at the National Mall 'has drawn positive attention from civilians.' Meanwhile, officers from the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE); and other agencies in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have been among those spotted in popular areas. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on the social platform X on Monday morning that federal authorities made 137 arrests over the weekend, bringing the total arrests since the initiative began to more than 400. 'We are not slowing down,' she wrote. 'We are committed to making DC safe again!' Trump has set his sights on tackling crime in the capital, even as local officials have pushed back on characterizations of violent surges. According to the District's statistics, which Trump has deemed ' fake,' violent crime is down about 26 percent compared to this point last year. 'American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican,' D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) wrote on social media Saturday night. The news of deployment from other states comes as national weather forecasters have warned that Hurricane Erin, the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season, could strengthen and cause high winds and flooding along the east coast this week. 'Our National Guard will work to assist President Trump's mission, and should a hurricane or natural disaster threaten our state, they can and will be immediately recalled home to respond,' McMaster posted online Saturday evening.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Three Republican-led states to deploy National Guard troops to US capital
WASHINGTON: The Republican governors of three states are deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., at the request of the administration of President Donald Trump, who has portrayed the city as awash in crime. The announcements on Saturday of troops from hundreds of miles away in West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio came a day after D.C. officials and the Trump administration negotiated a deal to keep Mayor Muriel Bowser's appointed police chief, Pamela Smith, in charge of the police department after D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit to block the federal takeover of the department. Trump, a Republican, said this week he was deploying hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops to Washington and temporarily taking over the Democratic-led city's police department to curb what he depicted as a crime and homelessness emergency. Justice Department data, however, showed violent crime in 2024 hit a 30-year low in Washington, a self-governing federal district under the jurisdiction of Congress. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey's office said in a statement he was deploying 300 to 400 National Guard troops to D.C. in 'a show of commitment to public safety and regional cooperation.' The statement said he also was providing equipment and specialized training. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster responded to a Pentagon request by announcing that 200 of his state's National Guard troops would be sent. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he would send 150 military police members in the coming days, adding none of them were 'currently serving as law enforcement officers in the state.' After the announcements, Mayor Bowser posted on X: 'American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican.' The National Guard serves as a militia that answers to the governors of the 50 states except when called into federal service. The D.C. National Guard reports directly to the president. Trump, who has suggested he could take similar actions in other Democratic-controlled cities, has sought to expand the powers of the presidency in his second term, inserting himself into the affairs of major banks, law firms and elite universities. In June, Trump ordered 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, against the wishes of California's Democratic governor, during protests over mass immigration raids by federal officials.
Axios
a day ago
- Politics
- Axios
D.C. resists Trump's takeover — in court and on the streets
D.C. was filled with resistance to President Trump's federal takeover this weekend, with rallies, locals documenting arrests, and a sharper edge from Mayor Muriel Bowser. Why it matters: Washingtonians are navigating daily life under federal control as both sides — the feds and resistance — ramp up their manpower and rhetoric. Catch up quick: Friday fired off with a lawsuit. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued to block Trump's takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department. A federal judge pushed the city and Justice Department to reach an agreement, and the Trump administration relented. MPD Chief Pamela Smith will keep command of 3,100 officers, while U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's appointee for the city's "emergency police commissioner," DEA head Terry Cole, can't issue directives for now. And Bowser is shifting her tone from cool diplomacy to heated pushback, calling Trump's action "an authoritarian push" and posting on her personal X account that "policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican." Friction point: " Trump must go" protests flared over the weekend, drawing action from Dupont Circle to the White House. Social media feeds were filled with video footage of arrests, and empty morning sidewalks — typically crammed with vendors — in Columbia Heights. On Saturday morning, masked federal agents — including one wearing an ICE badge — tackled a moped driver on 14th Street, reports the Washington Post. D.C. police were not involved in the arrest, a spokesperson tells Axios. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an X post that the arrest involved an undocumented immigrant "with suspected gang affiliation" facing a final order of removal. Leavitt said the individual resisted arrest and that a law enforcement officer suffered a concussion. Zoom in: Statehood advocates say police pepper-sprayed activist Afeni Evans during her arrest over Metro fare evasion Saturday, per a statement Free DC shared with Axios, which sparked protests outside the DC Courthouse. She was later released to cheering crowds. MPD told Axios it wasn't involved in the arrest. Metro Transit Police didn't immediately return Axios' request for comment. By the numbers: More than 300 people have now been arrested in the crackdown as of Saturday night, per a White House official. 135 undocumented immigrants have been arrested, and 44 homeless encampments have been cleared. All such camps have now been cleared from federal property, reports U.S. Park Police. Between the lines: Everyday life continued across the city — the Nats played ball, thousands boogied down for Chuck Brown Day — but resistance seeped in. Chants of "Free DC!" erupted during the Spirit's match Friday at Audi Field. Sidewalk chalk messages filled Mount Pleasant — an immigrant hub targeted by ICE. The intrigue: " Sandwich guy" — the now-former DOJ staffer who was arrested for launching a sub at federal agents — is being embraced as a symbol of the resistance. Banksy-style murals popped up in Adams Morgan, while some protestors carried sandwich signs or marched with actual baguettes. What we're watching: Red states from West Virginia to South Carolina pledged to send up to 700 more National Guard troops to D.C., on top of the 800 already deployed. And while the National Guard still isn't making arrests, they may be armed now, per the White House official. "[This is] consistent with their mission and training, to protect federal assets, provide a safe environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests, and deter violent crime with a visible law enforcement presence," says the official. The bottom line: In a late Friday email to constituents, Bowser acknowledged a city in "crisis" and commended citizens for rallying together.
USA Today
a day ago
- Politics
- USA Today
3 Republican-led states are deploying National Guard troops to DC: What to know
The Republican governors of three states are deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington at the request of the administration of President Donald Trump, who has portrayed the city as awash in crime. The announcements on Aug. 16 of troops from hundreds of miles away in West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio came a day after DC officials and the Trump administration negotiated a deal to keep Mayor Muriel Bowser's appointed police chief, Pamela Smith, in charge of the police department after DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit to block the federal takeover of the department. Trump, a Republican, said this week he was deploying hundreds of DC National Guard troops to Washington and temporarily taking over the Democratic-led city's police department to curb what he depicted as a crime and homelessness emergency. Justice Department data, however, showed violent crime in 2024 hit a 30-year low in Washington, a self-governing federal district under the jurisdiction of Congress. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey's office said in a statement he was deploying 300 to 400 National Guard troops to D.C. in "a show of commitment to public safety and regional cooperation." The statement said he also was providing equipment and specialized training. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster responded to a Pentagon request by announcing that 200 of his state's National Guard troops would be sent. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he would send 150 military police members in the coming days, adding none of them were "currently serving as law enforcement officers in the state." After the announcements, Mayor Bowser posted on X: "American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican." Troops to other cities? The National Guard serves as a militia that answers to the governors of the 50 states except when called into federal service. The DC National Guard reports directly to the president. Trump, who has suggested he could take similar actions in other Democratic-controlled cities, has sought to expand the powers of the presidency in his second term, inserting himself into the affairs of major banks, law firms and elite universities. In June, Trump ordered 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, against the wishes of California's Democratic governor, during protests over mass immigration raids by federal officials. South Carolina's McMaster said his troops would immediately return to South Carolina if needed to respond to a possible hurricane or other natural disaster. Hurricane Erin, now northeast of Puerto Rico, has become a catastrophic Category 5 storm that could bring ocean swells to the U.S. East Coast early next week, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. National Guard troops often respond to natural disasters and rarely police US civilians. Drew Galang, a spokesperson for West Virginia's Morrisey, said the state's National Guard received the order to send equipment and personnel to D.C. late on Friday and was working to organize the deployment. The White House said on Aug. 16 that DC National Guard members have conducted patrols on foot and in vehicles around the National Mall and Union Station. The White House said the National Guard troops are not making arrests now and that they may be armed. It is not clear how the administration could deploy National Guard troops elsewhere. A federal judge in San Francisco is expected in the coming weeks to issue a ruling on whether Trump violated the law with the Los Angeles deployments. (Reporting by AJ Vicens in Detroit, Richard Cowan in Washington and Bhargav Acharya in Toronto; Editing by Donna Bryson, Matthew Lewis, Paul Simao and William Mallard)
Time Magazine
a day ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
GOP States Send Hundreds of National Guard Troops to D.C.
Governors from three Republican states announced this weekend that they would send hundreds of National Guard troops to support President Donald Trump's already 800-strong deployment in Washington, D.C. Joining the D.C. Guard members deployed by Trump last week, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said the state would send 300 to 400 of its Guard troops, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster pledged 200 troops, and Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio said 150 Guard members would arrive in the coming days. McMaster said he was sending troops 'to support President Trump in his mission to restore law and order to our nation's capital,' and that the Guard members would return home if an emergency affected South Carolina. Morrisey said that the troops are being sent 'at the request' of Trump and as a show of 'regional cooperation.' 'WVNG involvement will include providing mission-essential equipment, specialized training, and approximately 300-400 skilled personnel as directed,' Morissey's office added. The new contributions amount to a near-doubling of National Guard troops in D.C. and a significant escalation of Trump's takeover of policing in the city, which has already been marked by protests and criticism over his attempts to expand his executive power. Though the escalation has not been addressed specifically by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, she posted on X late Saturday: 'American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican.' Trump invoked emergency powers to take control of the D.C. police department and call in the National Guard last week, claiming the city had been overrun by "bloodshed, bedlam and squalor." That claim is disputed by experts. Trump also mentioned other major cities where he wants to put police under federal control, including New York City, Baltimore, and Oakland. 'They're so far gone," Trump said. 'This will go further. We're starting very strongly with D.C." Bowser's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith still technically has day-to-day command over MPD following a failed attempt by the Trump Administration to place the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as an "emergency police commissioner." But, Bowser and city leaders are still required to cooperate with Trump and his Executive Order declaring a state of emergency in the district. Bowser has been adamant that Trump's response to crime in D.C. has been overblown and unnecessary, as crime has decreased in the city in the last two years after a spike in 2023. In addition to National Guard troops, Trump also deployed federal officers from the U.S. Park Police, ICE, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the U.S. Marshals Service on night patrols in D.C. In the first week, federal officers have set up checkpoints around the city, and police have arrested almost 200 people, including 75 arrests by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE)—utilizing the city takeover to further Trump's aggressive immigration tactics since his return to office in January.
