Us National Guard Troops To Patrol Washington Dc Armed With Weapons
Trump says the decision was made to stop the “crime wave”
US President Donald Trump has deployed 800 National Guard personnel to Washington, DC, taking control of the city’s metropolitan police directly under the federal government.
The move was made by ignoring local elected leadership, which is being described as an unusual and controversial step in American politics.
Trump says the decision was made to stop the “crime wave”, although according to statistics, crime in the city has decreased significantly since last year. Crime increased in 2023, but decreased by 35% in 2024 and another 26% in the first seven months of 2025.
Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser and other leaders rejected Trump’s claims, calling it an illegal and unnecessary move. The city’s Attorney General, Brian Schwab, said all legal avenues would be pursued.
Trump has warned that similar action will be taken in other Democratic cities, including Chicago, if necessary. Earlier in June, Trump deployed 5,000 National Guard personnel to Los Angeles, which the local government strongly objected to.
The move comes at a time when Trump has talked about finding legal avenues to eliminate Washington’s local autonomy and impose full federal control.
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