Trump may deploy National Guard in Washington DC

(NewsNation) — The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility President Trump will deploy hundreds of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. to help federal efforts to fight crime in the nation’s capital, an official confirms to NewsNation. 

If the president goes ahead with the idea, he is expected to announce details at a news conference previously scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday.

National Guard members would likely support law enforcement with logistics, similar to military operations in Los Angeles during recent protests there, the official said. 

As of Sunday evening, there was no final decision on whether to deploy the troops in the District of Columbia, several sources with knowledge of the matter said. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The potential use of National Guard troops comes as the Trump administration has already directed federal agencies to temporarily help patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., and tourist sites. The president has criticized local leaders over what he says is rampant crime and has even threatened a federal takeover of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser insists there has been no spike in lawlessness.

Also Sunday, Trump pledged to evict homeless people from the nation's capital and jail criminals.

"The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong."

Unlike in California and every other state, where the governor typically decides when to activate Guard troops, the president directly controls the National Guard in Washington, D.C. Past instances of the Guard's deployment in the city include in response to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.

A White House official said on Friday more federal law enforcement officers were being deployed in the city following a violent attack on a young administration staffer that angered the president.

Alleged crimes investigated by federal agents on Friday night included "multiple persons carrying a pistol without license," motorists driving on suspended licenses and dirt bike riding, a White House official said on Sunday.

The official said 450 federal law enforcement officers were deployed across the city on Saturday.

The city's police department says violent crime was down 26% in D.C. in the first seven months of 2025, compared with last year, while overall crime was down about 7%.

Congress has control of D.C.'s budget after the district was established in 1790 with land from neighboring Virginia and Maryland, but resident voters elect a mayor and city council.

For Trump to take over the city, it is likely that Congress would have to pass a law revoking the law that established local elected leadership.