Mississippi on Monday became the fourth Republican-led state to announce plans to send National Guard troops to Washington to bolster President Trump’s crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital.
“I’ve approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard Soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump’s effort to return law and order to our nation’s capital,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said in a post on the social platform X.
“Crime is out of control there, and it’s clear something must be done to combat it,” he continued. “Americans deserve a safe capital city that we can all be proud of. I know the brave men and women of our National Guard will do an excellent job enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement.”
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R), South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) all announced over the weekend they would send hundreds of soldiers from their states to nearly double the 800 D.C. National Guard members already mobilized. All three GOP governors said in their advisories they were acting on requests from the Trump administration.
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!”
Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on 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 nation’s 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.
Elizabeth Crisp contributed.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Comments