Armed National Guard Deployed in Washington by Trump

The U.S. National Guard has begun patrolling Washington, D.C., armed with service weapons, after President Donald Trump ordered their deployment to “clean up” the capital from what he described as a wave of gang-related crime.

According to the Guard’s command, about 2,200 troops were deployed and are authorized to carry weapons. However, they may only use force as a “last resort” in response to an immediate threat of death or serious injury.\

Military vehicles have been stationed since mid-August at major city sites, including The National Mall, in what the president insists is a necessary show of force. Similar deployments have already taken place in Los Angeles, and Trump has threatened to send troops to Chicago, New York, and Baltimore.

Democrats, however, have accused Trump of “manufacturing crises” to justify military intervention in cities governed by their party and to distract from his low approval ratings.

Police statistics from Washington contradict Trump’s claims of escalating violence, showing that violent crime actually declined between 2023 and 2024, though this followed a sharp rise in the years immediately after the pandemic.

Democratic leaders have vowed to resist. “Donald Trump has no legal basis, no authority, to send federal troops to Chicago,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on CNN, calling the move dangerous and politically motivated.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker added that while his state cooperates with federal law enforcement, “we will not let a dictator impose his will on us.”

Maryland’s governor, Wes Moore, also dismissed Trump’s claims about Baltimore’s crime rate, challenging the president to “take a walk” through the city. Trump responded via Truth Social that he would send troops if Moore “needed help.”

Beyond the National Guard, federal agencies including the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have also been deployed in Washington.

While the Pentagon has not publicly confirmed plans for Chicago or New York, U.S. media report that preparations are underway. Trump, meanwhile, has promised supporters that America’s largest cities “will be safe, very safe.”