The Republican governors of West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio announced Saturday they are deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., at the request of President Donald Trump, who has portrayed the capital as awash in crime, Reuters reported.
Hundreds of Troops Head to the Capital
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said he was sending 300 to 400 Guard troops along with equipment and specialized training, calling it “a show of commitment to public safety and regional cooperation.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced he would deploy 200 troops following a Pentagon request, while Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine pledged to send 150 military police in the coming days, clarifying none currently serve as state law enforcement.
Bowser Pushes Back
The deployments came one day after D.C. officials and the Trump administration reached a deal to keep Mayor Muriel Bowser’s appointed police chief, Pamela Smith, in charge of the Metropolitan Police Department, even as Trump declared a federal takeover of the force earlier this week.
Bowser blasted the troop deployments, posting on X: “American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican.”
White House: “Visible Presence to Deter Crime”
A White House official said the Guard troops would help “protect federal assets, create a safe environment for law enforcement officials to carry out their duties when required, and provide a visible presence to deter crime.”
The administration confirmed D.C. Guard members have already conducted foot and vehicle patrols around Union Station and the National Mall, though they are not making arrests. Officials said most of the troops may be authorized to carry firearms, particularly military police armed with sidearms.
Expanding Federal Role?
Trump has suggested similar interventions in other Democrat-run cities. In June, he ordered 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles against California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wishes during protests over federal immigration raids.
Legal challenges are already mounting. A federal judge in San Francisco is expected to rule in the coming weeks on whether Trump’s Los Angeles deployments violated the law.
