Three Republican-controlled US states will dispatch National Guard members to Washington, DC, to support the approximately 800 troops President Donald Trump has already stationed in the city.
West Virginia's Governor Patrick Morrisey announced he would deploy 300-400 National Guard troops from the state at Trump's request. The governors announced that South Carolina will deploy 200 troops and Ohio will send 150 military police from their National Guard.
On Monday, Trump announced a "public safety emergency," asserting that the nation's capital was overwhelmed by "absolute and utter lawlessness."
Elected officials in Washington, DC have disputed these claims, and hundreds of residents protested on Saturday.
Officers from multiple federal law enforcement agencies have been patrolling Washington's busiest and most visited areas this week, working alongside National Guard soldiers.s
Numerous individuals in Washington, on DC, where 92% of citizens cast their ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, have voiced dissatisfaction with Trump's enforcement approach.
Residents have started recording federal agents while they patrol, and over the weekend, the frustration grew into peaceful demonstrations against the administration.
Demonstrators gathered in Dupont Circle, a key area in the city, and walked through the streets shouting "Free DC!" A few beat drums and struck bells while they paraded.
Survey results show that residents in Washington, DC are worried about crime, and recently, a former worker from the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) was assaulted and beaten in the city.
Trump has depicted the nation's capital as troubled by "aggressive gangs and ruthless criminals."
However, Mayor Muriel Bowser has denied Trump's assertions regarding widespread crime in the city. She recognized that there was a surge in crime in 2023 that has since decreased.
Data from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) indicates that homicides decreased by 32% from 2023 to 2024, marking the lowest rate since 2019.
Initial data indicates that violent crime has decreased by 26% in 2025 thus far, in comparison to the same time in 2024, based on MPD information. According to BBC Verify, robbery has decreased by 28%.
The Trump administration first attempted to seize control of the Metropolitan Police Department in the city through the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, but withdrew the order after city officials sued them.
Judge Ana Reyes stated that Mayor Bowser had to adhere to the White House directives.
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