Three Republican-led states on Saturday said that they were deploying hundreds of US National Guard members to Washington to bolster US President Donald Trump’s effort to overhaul policing in the capital through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness.
West Virginia said it was deploying 300 to 400 Guard troops, while South Carolina pledged 200 and Ohio said it would send 150 in the coming days, marking a significant escalation of the federal intervention.
The moves came as protesters pushed back on federal law enforcement and National Guard troops fanning out in the heavily Democratic city following an executive order federalizing local police forces and activating about 800 District of Columbia National Guard members.
Photo: Reuters
By adding outside troops to the existing DC Guard deployment and federal law enforcement presence, Trump is exercising even tighter control over the city. It is a power play that the president has justified as an emergency response to crime and homelessness, even though city officials have noted that violent crime is lower than it was during Trump’s first term in office.
National Guard members have played a limited role in the federal intervention so far, and it is unclear why additional troops are needed. They have been patrolling at landmarks like the National Mall and Union Station, and assisting law enforcement with tasks including crowd control.
The Republican governors of the three states said they were sending hundreds of troops at the request of the Trump administration.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said that the state “is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation’s capital.”
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said he authorized the deployment of his state’s National Guard to help law enforcement in Washington at the Pentagon’s request, adding that if a hurricane or other natural disaster strikes, they would be recalled.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he would send 150 military police to “carry out presence patrols and serve as added security,” and that they were expected to arrive in the coming days. His statement said that US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll requested the troops.
The activations suggest the Trump administration sees the need for additional manpower after the president personally played down the need for Washington to hire more police officers.
A protest against Trump’s intervention drew scores on Saturday to march to the White House. Demonstrators assembled behind a banner that said: “No fascist takeover of D.C.,” and some in the crowd held signs saying, “No military occupation.”
Morgan Taylor, one of the protest organizers, said they were hoping to spark enough backlash to Trump’s actions that the administration would be forced to pull back on its crime and immigration agenda.
Fueling the protests were concerns about Trump overreaching and that he had used crime as a pretext to impose his will on Washington.
John Finnigan, 55, was taking a bike ride when he ran into the protest in downtown Washington. The real estate construction manager who has lived in the capital for 27 years said Trump’s moves were “ridiculous” because crime is down.
“Hopefully, some of the mayors and some of the residents will get out in front of it and try and make it harder for it to happen in other cities,” Finnigan said.
Jamie Dickstein, a 24-year-old teacher, said she was “very uncomfortable and worried” for the safety or her students given the “unmarked officers of all types” now roaming Washington and detaining people.
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