According to multiple sources within Mayor Bowser’s office and the Metropolitan Police Department, President Donald Trump is expected to “definitely deploy the National Guard” across the District.
The announcement is anticipated to be made during Trump’s news conference on Monday, WUSA reported. In a Saturday morning post on his social media platform TruthSocial, Trump announced a press conference that he said “will, essentially, stop violent crime” in the District.
This announcement follows months of threats to federalize Washington, D.C., as Trump has repeatedly criticized the city’s rising crime and homelessness issues. “It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World. It will soon be one of the safest!!!” Trump continued in the social media post.
Deploying the National Guard for regular Washington, D.C. patrols would be unprecedented. The last National Guard deployment in the District occurred in 2020 during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations. Meanwhile, an increased presence of federal agencies has been evident over the weekend, with the U.S. Park Police, ATF Washington, and Amtrak Police beginning street patrols in D.C. early Friday morning, the outlet added.
The announcement follows the White House’s statement Thursday that it ordered an increased deployment of federal law enforcement to patrol the city. “Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, per the Washington Times. “President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens.”
The initiative is only scheduled to last for a week, however, though the seven-day deployment could be lengthened, the Times reported. Trump has repeatedly criticized rising crime in Washington, D.C., and has said he could move to federalize the city. Doing so would require Congress to overturn the 1973 Home Rule Act, which granted the District the authority to elect its own local government.
