Trump mobilises full National Guard contingent to Washington; 800 troops now in capital

President Donald Trump has ordered the complete mobilisation of 800 National Guard troops to Washington, DC, as part of what he describes as a drive to restore “law and order” in the US capital.

The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday (August 14) that all Army and Air National Guardsmen assigned to Joint Task Force DC are now operational.

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the troops will support the Metropolitan Police Department and federal agencies by securing monuments, patrolling communities, protecting federal facilities and managing traffic control points.

The deployment will continue until Trump determines that order has been restored. Unlike in most states, Washington’s National Guard operates under direct presidential authority, removing the need for formal federalisation.

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Political context and crime statistics

Trump’s decision also includes a federal takeover of Washington’s police department, part of a broader Republican narrative that the Democratic-led city is plagued by crime and mismanagement.

Official data from Washington police, however, shows violent crime has declined in 2024 compared with last year, following a spike in the immediate post-pandemic period.

The deployment follows Trump’s recent use of National Guard and Marine units in Los Angeles to quell unrest triggered by immigration enforcement raids, marking the first time since 1965 that a president has sent the Guard into a state over a governor’s objections.