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 a massive crime-fighting effort in Washington last week, with a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department 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 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; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and other agencies in the Department of Homeland Security 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 on social media Saturday evening.
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