Washington DC National Guard Hits the Streets After Trump’s “Lawless City” Remark
The Washington DC National Guard will begin deploying on the city’s streets Tuesday night — just one day after Donald Trump ordered their arrival and assumed control of the city’s police force, labeling Washington DC a “lawless” city, despite official crime statistics showing otherwise, according to a White House official.
Defense officials revealed that a small number of the approximately 800 National Guard members assigned to the mission were already mobilized by Tuesday afternoon, with more expected in the coming days. The Guard is set to “begin being on the streets starting tonight.”
On Monday night, around 850 officers and agents took part in what the White House described as a “massive law enforcement surge” across Washington DC, resulting in nearly two dozen arrests. Officials noted that the violent crime rate in the capital is currently at a 30-year low.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the operation resulted in 23 arrests on charges including homicide, firearms offenses, drug possession with intent to distribute, fare evasion, lewd acts, and stalking. She added that six illegal handguns were confiscated during the sweep.
“This is only the beginning,” Leavitt declared. “Over the next month, the Trump administration will relentlessly track down and arrest every violent criminal in the district who threatens public safety and endangers law-abiding Americans.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser stated that she expects the National Guard to be deployed primarily on federal properties, such as parks, monuments, and government buildings. She also noted that homeless individuals will be offered shelter and addiction or mental health services, but if they refuse, they could face fines or jail time under existing but previously unenforced laws.
Critics have slammed Trump’s move as an authoritarian power grab undermining DC’s local autonomy and distracting from political controversies, including the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Despite political tensions, Bowser pledged to work “side by side” with federal forces, emphasizing the importance of maximizing additional officer support to combat crime. “We have the best in the business at MPD,” she said, referring to Chief Pamela Smith, “and we’ll make sure federal law enforcement and the National Guard are effectively used to drive down crime.”
However, Democratic mayors in other cities have taken a sharper tone, warning Trump not to expand his law-and-order crackdown elsewhere. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “Sending in the National Guard would destabilize our city and undermine our safety efforts.”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott noted his city is the safest it has been in over 50 years, while Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee accused Trump of fear-mongering for political gain. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass dismissed the action as “another performative power grab from local government.”
Trump has defended his actions, citing other Democratic-led cities — Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore, and Oakland — as being in deep decline. His White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller escalated rhetoric, claiming without evidence that crime stats in major blue cities are fake and that Trump will save civilization.
Democrats warn that Washington DC could be a blueprint for federal overreach into other cities. DC Council member Christina Henderson compared the district to a “petri dish” for controversial federal experiments, urging Americans to stay alert.
California Governor Gavin Newsom accused Trump of trying to “militarize any city he wants”, while Illinois Governor JB Pritzker flatly rejected any legal basis for sending troops into Chicago, warning of dangerous parallels to Nazi Germany’s dismantling of democracy in the 1930s.